Bullets and Lies
by LilyRose Blue
Summary: When Opie's high school sweetheart returns to Charming he learns that getting everything you want is never as easy as it sounds. Can Opie have the good life or will a secret from her past destroy both of them?
1. Homecoming

It had been five months since Clay, Jax, Tig, Bobby, Juice, and Happy started their 14 month prison sentences. In that time Opie had stepped up to take on the responsibility of running the club.

Clay was still calling the shots from prison, but it was Opie that was responsible for the day to day business of the club and also the garage.

Gemma was still serving her house arrest sentence so the garage's office was in shambles without someone there to take care of the paperwork.

Tara tried to help when she could and Chuckie helped out as well, but still Opie felt like he was the captain of a sinking ship.

Opie was trading water at home as well. He had been heartbroken when Lyla told him about the abortion she had while he was in Ireland. For awhile he struggled to make their relationship work, but ultimately could not.

So, he was single again and struggled to take care of his kids, keep the club solvent, and the garage afloat in the meantime.

As was becoming his routine Opie arrived at the garage at 7:00 in the morning to get ready to open up for the day. He walked into the office that looked like a landfill full of papers and trash.

He sighed to himself and sat down behind the desk searching for the list of repo jobs that had been completed the previous day. He pulled a folder from a large stack of papers and they chose that moment to upend themselves and land of the floor.

"Motherfucker..." muttered Opie, he looked at the paper scattered all over the floor.

Opie heaved a sigh and got down on the floor to pick everything up. Suddenly, he heard a female voice giggle at him.

Jasmine Bennett stood in the doorway of the office wearing a multicolored halter dress. She smirked at him with a hand resting on her hip.

Opie looked up from his position on the floor and stared at the woman in front of him.

Jasmine laughed more and then flashed a smile. "You never were good at being organized. How the hell are you?" she asked.

Opie clamored to his feet his jaw falling slack for a moment. He hadn't seen Jasmine since they were teenagers.

Opie walked over to Jasmine and hugged her. He lifted her off of her feet as they hugged

"I'm good. What are you doing here? I thought you were living in Nevada now," asked Opie surprised.

Jasmine laughed and returned Opie's fierce hug. He'd always been a bear of a man even as a teenager.

"Well, I was living in Nevada but I've decided to move back home where I belong. I think I've been away long enough. Besides, I have some business to take care of here. I have an inheritance to claim," Jasmine explained.

"Claim an inheritance? I thought your folks lived out in Nevada, too," Opie said in a confused voice.

He smiled at Jasmine and finally set her back down on her feet. "I am glad you came to visit. It is good to see you, Jasmine. I am sorry for your loss. Whatever loss that might be."

"Yeah, they do live in Nevada. Mama and Pop are doing just fine. The old man just turned 60 a couple of months ago," said Jasmine.

Opie quirked an eyebrow and asked, "So, who died?"

"Actually, Davy Hale left me something in his will. And his brother, Jacob, took his sweet time notifying me about it. The family's lawyer ended up getting in touch with me first. So, I hauled my cookies all the way out here. I hate that I missed his funeral. Davy was a really good man and an even better friend," said Jasmine. There was a sadness in her voice as she spoke about David.

"And he was your first love..." said Opie with a small smile.

Jasmine smiled a little. "He was my first boyfriend. But you were my first love, Opie. And he knew it. It used to drive him crazy. I just can't believe that I missed his funeral."

"I am sorry that you missed it. I hate to say that I wasn't able to attend it either. I know he would have wanted you there. Hale was always fond of you. He hated me when I started dating you in high school. He couldn't understand what you'd want with a guy like me. I have to say I use to wonder the same thing. Hale and I were like polar opposites," said Opie.

She shook her head a little and let out a soft chuckle. "You two always thought you were so different but in my estimation you were both good guys with big hearts. And you were both crazy about me."

Opie chuckled and said, "You always saw the best in people, Jasmine."

He gave her a concerned look. "Are you handling his death okay?"

Jasmine sighed and said, "I am okay as I can be. It is still hard to think about how he died. He didn't deserve to die that way...not Davy. I knew something was wrong when I hadn't heard from him in two weeks. You could always count on Davy to be like clockwork. He called me every day at 9:00 at night unless something serious came up. And we'd talk for hours. The first week I didn't hear from him...I assumed it was because of your prospect getting murdered and Jax's boy getting kidnapped. But by the second week...I had a sick feeling to my core so I called the CPD to talk to Chief Unser...and he told me about David getting killed. The funeral had already happened. I was heartbroken."

Opie put a comforting arm around Jasmine and gently caressed her back.

"I didn't always get along with David. Opposite sides of the law and all. But you are right. He didn't deserve to go like that. I didn't know that the two of you kept in touch like that."

He wondered why Hale had never mentioned it.

Jasmine shook her head and said, "Davy was a stand up guy. Even though he didn't like the lives you and Jax were living he still cared about the both of you. He was real broken up when your wife died. He's the one that told me about it. I sent you a condolence card. I know that wasn't exactly comforting but I wanted to do something for an old friend in pain."

"Do you want to sit down?" asked Opie. Opie finished picking up the papers from the floor.

"Sure," said Jasmine. She had a seat in a chair on the other side of the desk and set her purse down.

"I really appreciated the card you sent. It was filled with a lot of heartfelt words," said Opie.

"Thanks. David was really shook up after your wife's death. He felt a lot of regret and guilt for working with the ATF. David was a good cop and a good man. Setting you up to look like a rat was something he wanted no part of…sometimes he'd call me at night because he woke up with nightmares. That manipulative bitch broke his spirit and made him question being a police officer. Before he died David was just getting back to loving his job. He was finally getting closer to being happy. We were getting closer to being happy."

Opie's heart was heavy thinking about Donna. Killing Stahl had not brought him as much satisfaction as he had hoped. There was still no peace for Opie Winston. He could see how much David's death was affecting Jasmine months later. It was a pain he knew all too well. There were still nights when he woke up thinking about Donna.

"I know this isn't really my place to ask but were you and Hale dating one another?"

"We were trying the long distance thing for almost a year. He wanted me to move back to Charming. I was in the process of packing everything up when I found out he died. I didn't know what to do for awhile so I just didn't do anything. He was always trying to look out for me. Davy was definitely sexist. He felt like he needed to protect me because he was the man and I was the woman. I guess that I shouldn't be surprised that he left his house to me. So, I am going to move back home…for Davy," said Jasmine hastily wiping away her tears.

Opie searched the desk for a box of Kleenex but couldn't find it under the mass of paperwork. He handed her a rag from the garage. "Don't worry…it is clean."

"Thanks."

Jasmine took the red rag and dabbed at her tears.

Opie wondered just how committed they were to one another. He knew for a fact that Hale was screwing June Stahl when she first hit Charming.

"Did he see you often? I mean with you living out in Nevada it had to be hard for you two to meet up."

"We made do. I had a life there and he had a life here. I keep thinking about the last time I saw him. It was a month before he died. He came to visit me. You think you have time you know...but you don't. You never know when time is running out. He had been after me for years to move back home. But the last time he came to visit I agreed and we were thinking about getting married."

"I know all about regrets and lost time. Those five years I spent in prison were five years I lost with Donna. Five years I thought I would have the opportunity to make up. And then one day all of that was taken away from me. My future…my life…I lost so much that day. I lost things I am still realizing I lost," said Opie.

"I miss hearing David's voice most of all. Davy wanted me to move home because I was pregnant. I agreed because I wanted us to finally be a family."

Opie finally found a box of tissues and offered her a Kleenex. "Pregnant? With his baby?" asked Opie shocked.

Jasmine nodded and chuckled softly. She accepted the Kleenex. "Thanks. We got a little carried away with the drinks one night and whoops. We have a four month old son, Daniel David Hale. Now I am a single mother of three children. Davy is the father of two of my children."

"You have three children?" asked Opie chuckling.

She nodded. "Three really amazing children."

"That is...amazing. Congratulations. Do you have any pictures?" asked Opie. "I have two of my own. Kenny and Ellie. Ellie is 13 and Kenny is 11." Opie took out his wallet showing her the pictures of the two of them.

"Of course," said Jasmine laughing softly. She opened her purse and pulled out her wallet.

"This is my baby boy, Danny. And this is my little girl, Lily, she just turned 11. Davy is her daddy too. And this is my son, Henry."

Jasmine looked at the pictures of Kenny and Ellie. "They look just like you Opie. You must be so proud of them."

Opie stared at the picture of Henry with a shocked expression. "You have a teenage son?" asked Opie.

She nodded and said, "Henry just turned 16."

"16?" asked Opie.

He did the math in his head. "You got pregnant at 16?" asked Opie.

He stared at the picture closely before looking back at Jasmine suspiciously. Maybe Opie was seeing things but Henry looked a great deal like Opie did at that age. At 16 Jasmine and Opie were hot and heavy.

She nodded. "I did. Opie, that is sort of why I wanted to talk to you. It's the reason why I came here this morning to see you. Henry is your son."

Those words sort of hung in the air. Opie didn't know what to think or to say. "Why...why didn't you tell me?" asked Opie trying to contain his anger.

"I didn't know that Henry was your son until recently. You have to believe that I wouldn't have kept something so important a secret from you for all of these years. I haven't exactly had an easy time raising Henry on my own. You've always been a stand up guy. If I would have known the truth I would have told you," said Jasmine.

"You didn't know if he was my kid? But I was your first...or at least I thought I was. What is going on, Jasmine?" asked Opie.

Jasmine bristled at the accusation. She thought about how to formulate her next statement. "Someone...took advantage of me and I didn't want anyone to know. So, my parents decided that we'd move to Nevada. They didn't want me to have to see the man every day. But as Henry has gotten older...he looked more and more like you. And I wondered if I'd made a mistake. I asked Davy to help me investigate," said Jasmine.

"Took advantage of you? Who?" asked Opie standing up.

He walked over so that he was sitting on the edge of the desk in front of her. Opie reached out taking her hand.

"And how could Hale help you investigate something that happened 16 years ago? Jasmine, just tell me the truth. What you say to me doesn't go any further than this office. I am just trying to understand what is going on here."

Jasmine took a deep breath to steady her nerves. "The last time that Davy came to Las Vegas he took a DNA test for me. When I got the results back...I found out that Henry wasn't related to him at all."

Opie stood up looking at her. "You and Hale...no...you said man. Not David Hale...his sociopath brother, Jacob. Jacob Hale took advantage of you?"

Jasmine rubbed her arms slightly but nodded. "I never got a DNA test because I just assumed that he was the father. But Henry started to look so much like you. He's as tall as a redwood. His eyes even look like yours. And it made me wonder if...maybe you and I weren't as careful as we thought we were."

"That son of a bitch," Opie muttered angrily.

Silence filled the room as Opie processed this new information.

"How did this happen? Why didn't you tell me? I was your boyfriend I would have handled to situation. That sick fuck was 26 years old when you were 16."

"I don't want to talk about it, Opie. It is in the past and I want to leave it there. I just...I wanted you to know about Henry since we'd be here in town. I thought you would want to get to know him. He's a great boy. Hard-headed and has a knack for getting into trouble. But he is a good boy," said Jasmine.

"I don't want to just let this go. I want to know how this son of a bitch took advantage of you," said Opie making it obvious that he was not about to relent.

"This is why I didn't tell you back then. You never knew how to leave well enough alone. You always wanted to save the day. Some people you just can't save, Ope. Jacob's family was loaded. His daddy was a judge and his grandfather was a judge. I was just some 16 year old girl that came from a working class family. I was a girl that hung out with Opie Winston and got myself arrested for disturbing the peace, drunk and disorderly, vandalism, assault, petty theft. I was a fucking train wreck...a slut. Who would have believed that Jacob Hale...raped me? And even if they believed it...would they have cared?" asked Jasmine quietly.

Opie gently pulled Jasmine to her feet and looked down into her eyes. "Hey! I don't want to hear you talk about yourself that way. You were not a slut. The guy you were with was me. We made a lot of mistakes as teenagers but you were always a good girl. You didn't deserve to have Jacob Hale's filthy fucking hands on you. You could have told me. I would have believed you. I would have cared."

"I know you would have, Opie. And you would have gotten yourself in a world of trouble. Jacob was untouchable then. You would have kicked the shit out of him and you would have gone to jail. Jacob's daddy would have made damn sure of that. I wasn't about to let you throw your life away. And at the time I was so ashamed. I felt like it was my fault. I could barely manage to tell my parents. Especially my dad. I was so scared he'd think I was a slut. That was all Jacob kept reminding me of...was that I was a slut. That I wanted him to do those things to me. That I liked it...seeing him made me sick. I was so scared of telling anyone because he was in my head. I thought people saw me the way he did."

Opie pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight against his chest. "You could have told me the truth. I wouldn't have looked at you any differently because I love you. You were a good girl Jasmine...I knew that. Hell I had to convince you to have sex with me. You wanted to save yourself for marriage." Opie walked away for a moment punching a wall.

He regained his composure and said, "He is a disgusting bastard and this should have never happened to you. And I am sorry that it did."

Opie held her for awhile not saying anything. He tried to think back to around the time Jasmine and her family moved away from Charming. She started acting differently towards him but he always assumed that was because she was moving.

"I can't believe your Pops went for that. He was a cagey old son of a bitch like my Pops. I can't believe he didn't put a bullet in Hale's head in the middle of town."

"My dad wanted to kill him. Trust me. It took my mama and a miracle from the good Lord to convince him to give up that thought. I told him that I was pregnant, and he realized he needed to stick around for his grandchild. He knew I was too damn stubborn to give my kid up for adoption," said Jasmine.

She sighed a little and brushed away her tears. "I told you I didn't want to talk about it and look now you've made me ruin my damn make up."

"You look better without make-up. Always did," whispered Opie with a smile.

Jasmine cut her eyes at him but then smiled.

"I'm sorry for dragging you down memory lane. I just wanted to know...I needed to know why I lost 16 years with my son. My flesh and blood. I'd like to meet him sometime soon. Does he know about me?"

Jasmine shook her head and stepped back. She grabbed some Kleenex and attempted to clean her face. "I'd like for Henry to meet you too. I told him about you when we got ready to move here. I wanted him to know the truth. For a long time Henry thought that Davy was his father. I got pregnant with Lily when Henry was 5 years old. Davy was her daddy and around that time Henry started asking about his daddy. Davy offered and I accepted."

Opie wasn't pleased knowing that Hale had been acting as father to his kid. "How long did Hale know about what happened to you?" asked Opie.

"Davy had his suspicions all along but I would never confirm or deny any of his theories. He finally realized that if he kept pushing the issue that I would push him out of my life. It wasn't until I asked him to take the DNA test that I finally came clean and told him that it was Jacob. He told me that he had always thought it might have been Jacob. But because it was his brother he had hoped that he was wrong," said Jasmine.

Opie shook his head slightly. "Let's talk about Henry, because if I keep thinking about Hale I am going to kill him." Opie had a seat behind the desk.

Jasmine said, "Henry turned 16 a couple of months ago. I taught him how to drive. He is actually pretty anxious to get his license out here. He has his Nevada license, but I told him I didn't want him driving here until he gets his California state license. He is an A and B student. He played football at his last high school. He was a defensive tackle. And in the spring he plays baseball. I've already got him and Lily registered for school. That is what I spent most of my time doing yesterday."

Opie smiled listening to Jasmine tell him about Henry. "I can't believe I have a son that is old enough to drive. I guess I should have asked this to begin with...does he want to meet me?" asked Opie.

"It is sometimes hard for me to believe and I raised him. Seems like the years go by so quickly. And now he is almost a grown man. He is already taller than I am. I have to wear heels to be his height. He's 6 feet tall already. He definitely wants to meet you," said Jasmine laughing softly.

Opie laughed and said, "I was about that height at his age. He'll probably be as tall as I am. Kenny is starting to sprout up too. He loves playing baseball too maybe Henry and Kenny will have that to bond over."

It was at that point that Opie realized that he would have to tell Kenny and Ellie about Henry.

Jasmine said, "Henry is mostly a really good kid. He rebels sometimes. I think mostly it is because he's getting to that age where he feels like he is a man and his mother is telling him what to do. He's gotten into a little trouble here and there but I've tried to keep him out of trouble. Sports have been a big help."

Opie said, "Well, it can't be easy trying to raise a boy on your own. In Nevada did you live close to your parents? I am sure your Pops helped you keep him in line. I have to say my dad and mom have been lifesavers with Kenny and Ellie lately."

"Yeah, we lived close. But you know me. I do my own thing and no one is telling me how to raise my kid. So I give Henry hell when he steps out of line. I don't care that he is 3 inches taller than me. I am his mother," said Jasmine chuckling.

He chuckled and said, "My mother had that same problem with me. I towered over her by several inches by the time I was in my early teens. But she made sure I never forgot who was in charge. You mentioned that he's gotten into some trouble?"

Jasmine nodded and said, "Mostly fights. Henry has a pretty short temper at times. And he isn't afraid to fight. Which on the one hand is good. I don't want my kid being afraid. But on the other hand it made for uncomfortable vibes in the neighborhood. Parents get offended when your kid kicks their kid's ass. But Henry wasn't a bully he just wasn't going to take crap from the kids that picked on him. I think the worst thing he did was steal my dad's car when he was 14. That was bad...really bad."

Opie was proud that his son knew how to take care of himself. "He stole your Pops' car? Was he okay? I mean he didn't get hurt or anything?"

Jasmine said, "He was fine. He took the damn thing on a joyride and brought it back to the house. He was a good driver. Of course I made his life hell for two months after that. I wanted him to know how dangerous that was. He could have been hurt. He could have died. I was so upset I called Davy. He asked if I wanted him to drive out. But I said no...just talk to him. I put Henry on the phone and Davy gave him this like hour long lecture. I never knew exactly what Davy said to him but when Henry got off of the phone he walked over to me and hugged me and he told me that he was sorry and that it would never happen again."

"I am glad that you had David's help, Jas."

Jasmine looked at her watch and frowned. "I've got to get back to the hotel. I left Henry there to watch Lily and Danny. We will be staying there until our things arrive from Nevada. They should be here in a couple of days. Maybe then I could have you and your kids over for dinner?"

"Sure, I would like that a lot, Jasmine. Maybe I could stop by the hotel today and see Henry?" asked Opie.

Jasmine stood up and nodded. "Sure, you can just come over whenever." Jasmine picked up a pen and scribbled down the information. "Here this is my cell number and the room's phone number. And the room number at the hotel."

Opie smiled. "Okay, I'll call before I show up." Opie walked Jasmine out to her car and watched her pull off.


	2. Confronting the Past

Jasmine slowly walked down the winding path at the cemetery. Her heart ached thinking about David's last moments. Meeting with Wayne Unser had been a bad idea. The older man spared no detail about David's death. He died trying to be a good cop. But that was cold comfort to Jasmine.

Each step took more effort than the last as she felt tears wetting the corners of her eyes. It was time to attempt to find some closure in all of this. Closure…is a curious thing and it happens differently for different people. But in Jasmine's case missing David's funeral left her in limbo.

She was an educated woman so logically she knew that he was gone. Jasmine understood that she'd never see his boyish grin or hear his voice say her name. But not attending his funeral made her feel like it was just a bad dream. A bad dream she desperately wanted to wake up from.

There was something final in seeing a loved one's casket interned into the ground or their ashes entombed in a mausoleum. At that point you had no choice but to accept that they were gone. In those sorrowful moments there was no doubt that the soul had left the body and the body was being returned to the earth…ashes to ashes and dust to dust.

Being in Nevada had allowed Jasmine to escape the pain of that finality. She could pretend, if only in her private thoughts, that David was just busy. Or perhaps on a much needed vacation. Returning to Charming stripped her of all pretense and delusion.

David Hale was dead and he wasn't coming back. He'd never hold their son. He wouldn't get to watch their children grow up. And the love that she so naively tried to run from was gone. That soul crushing realization was more painful than Jasmine had imagined. Each breath she took felt like it might be her very last.

She finally stopped walking as David's headstone came into view. Her stomach tightened with anxiety and tears streamed down her cheeks. Running from the cemetery suddenly seemed like a stellar idea. Facing the truth…facing his death was hard.

Jasmine finally willed herself to move forward and stopped in front of David's grave. She smiled softly reading his headstone aloud. "That nothing's so sacred as honor, and nothing so loyal as love!"

As a child David was obsessed with all things Western and Wyatt Earp had been one of his favorite historical figures. It seemed appropriate that the fallen law man would have chosen Wyatt Earp's epitaph for his own. His lawyer had explained that David had everything laid out just so in case of his death.

She stooped down and tenderly placed the lilies on his grave. Her hands lightly skimmed over the smooth marble. It was surprising to her how cool it could be even in the heat of the summer. She lightly traced the words etched into the headstone with her fingers.

"You're probably wondering what took me so long to come see you. I guess I've been scared and trying to avoid the inevitable. You know me…if I just don't think about something then it can't be true. Sadly, there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about you. I look at Lily and Danny and I see your face. But most of all I think about how much you loved me and those kids. I think about how you took on Henry as your son knowing full well that he wasn't. I think about how you never fully understood me but loved me with your whole heart anyway. I rode by your house today and half expected to see your jeep outside. I miss you, David. And in case you ever had any doubts….I love you. I always did."

Jasmine took a deep breath and touched David's headstone one more time.

The walk back to the car seemed like the longest trip of her life. She didn't know how she'd ever be able to bring her children here. There was no way she'd be able to hold it together for them.

Jasmine climbed into her car and glanced at her cell phone. It was nearly 2:30. There was a lawyer across town awaiting her arrival. Today was the day that she'd find out exactly what David left her in his will.

Despite the threat of being late Jasmine drove slowly to her appointment. Meeting with the lawyer was like closing the chapter on David's life. His worldly possessions would be divvied up as he saw fit. Now, instead of living in limbo Jasmine would have to figure out a way to move forward.

Jasmine pulled into a parking space outside of the lawyer's office and turned off the car. She stared at the taupe colored stucco building and blew out a frustrated breath. Jasmine removed her rosary from the glove compartment and gently draped it around her hand. She was going to need all of the strength she could gather.

With one last sorrowful sigh the young woman exited her car and walked into the building. She smiled at a kindly gray haired receptionist. "Good Afternoon. My name is Jasmine Bennett. I am here to see Malcolm Johnson."

The woman stood up from her desk and offered a sweet smile. "Ms. Bennett, he is in his office waiting on you."

The older woman shepherded Jasmine down a short corridor to an open office door.

Malcolm Johnson looked to be in his 60's. He was a white haired, pot bellied, older gentleman. "I was beginning to think that you'd forgotten all about our meeting."

Jasmine walked into the office and smiled sheepishly. "I am afraid I lost track of time. I hope I haven't inconvenienced you too much."

"Nonsense. I don't have any other appointments scheduled this afternoon. Please come in and have a seat."

As she walked further into the room Jasmine felt the wind knocked out of her. Sitting on a couch in the corner was none other than Jacob Hale. She hadn't laid eyes on that man since she was 16 years old. Even after all of this time his dead eyes still sent chills down her spine.

The receptionist closed the door and returned to her post in the foyer.

Jasmine took a seat in an armchair being sure to keep her distance from Jacob.

Jacob smiled at her and there was a glint in his eyes. "Well, aren't you going to say hi? It has been a long time, Jasmine."

Jasmine steadied her breathing. She wasn't going to let him see her sweat. "I don't like you. I don't see a reason to pretend that I do for the sake of Mr. Johnson. He handles will readings all the time. I am sure he is quite used to having acrimonious parties in his office."

Malcolm chortled. "Well, that'd certainly be true. Nothing brings out the ugly in people more than money. I've seen it all over the years."

He carried over a file folder and had a seat on the couch with Jacob since Jasmine had taken his seat.

"Well, you should try being more civil. There is a certain level of respect due to the mayor," Jacob replied smoothly.

Mayor was a title that he enjoyed immensely. It finally gave him the standing in Charming that he'd always dreamed of. For years the man languished in the shadow of his father and grandfather. Both men had served as judges.

"I'd ask if you sold your soul to be elected but then that would mean that you had a soul to sell. So I am going to assume that you bought some votes somewhere along the way. In any case mayor or not I don't care to see or speak to you. Let's just get this done," Jasmine said.

Malcolm cleared his throat. You could cut the tension in the room with a knife. "Well, I am the executor of Mr. Hale's Estate. He was a very fastidious young man. Everything is laid out in his will just so. Ms. Bennett, I told you over the phone that Mr. Hale left his residence to you. However, he has left you all of the belongings and furniture in the home. After his death the locks on the house were changed to ensure the integrity of the inventory in the home. As the executor it is my responsibility to have all the contents inventoried. I have done so."

He handed Jasmine several sheets of paper containing the inventory. Soon after David's death Jacob Hale had arrived at Malcom's office ready to take possession of David's things. Jacob became livid when the older lawyer explained that the majority of the estate belonged to Jasmine Bennett. The new mayor of Charming ranted and raved about David's estate belonging to him. It was at that point that Malcolm dispatched a locksmith out to the house to secure it with new locks.

The lawyer had seen many underhanded schemes in his day to devalue estates, steal items, and forge wills. Jacob's reaction made him overly cautious. Not to mention that he was well acquainted with the Hale family. And while David might have been an upstanding citizen the rest of the Hale's were underhanded and devious.

"All monies and bonds have been left to Ms. Bennett."

The mayor was seething now. The house he could have lived with. He had no interest in the house or anything within it. However, the money was important to him. He needed every bit of cash he could get his hands on if he was going to make Charming Heights a reality. He'd already sunk a chunk of his money into the development.

Jacob growled and said, "Get on with it!"

"All property has been left to Ms. Bennett. Furthermore, Mr. Hale named you as beneficiary of one of his two insurance policy. The second is to be divided equally among three his children and put into trusts. I've been tasked with that duty."

Hale shot a questioning look at Jasmine. "Three children? David didn't have any children."

Jasmine sad, "David has three children. Our last child was born shortly after David died."

Malcolm said, "But since you were already pregnant at the time of this will he's made provisions for the unborn child."

"There is no way my brother had children and never told me. Never told my father!"

Jasmine deadpanned, "There were a lot of things David never told you. I'm sure there are things you never told him. He knew all about the pain you caused. The damage you did."

Jacob sat up in his seat and hurriedly asked, "What did my brother leave me? Or are you just wasting my time, Malcolm."

He didn't know if Jasmine had the courage to admit the truth in front of Malcolm but he wasn't about to take any chances.

"Mr. Hale saw fit to leave you his share of your family's Nevada horse farm," said Malcolm.

"Is that all?" Hale demanded angrily.

Malcolm nodded. "I am afraid so."

Jacob stormed out of the office without a word to either party.

The lawyer gave a satisfied smile. "I've never cared for him. I am sorry for your loss, Ms. Bennett. Mr. Hale came in to change his will not long before he died. He was very fond of you. He told me all about you and the kids moving back to Charming."

"Thank you. I loved David very much. I wasn't aware that he changed his will. I don't really know how all of this works. What do I have to do?"

"That is what I am here to do. I will walk you through all of the steps and get you squared away. As executor of the estate I have already handled the majority of the work. I just need your signature on some of the documents," said Malcolm.

"When can I take possession of the house?"

"You should be able to move into the house by the end of the week. No later than that. If you will just come over to my desk we can get all of the paperwork out of the way."

Jasmine nodded and walked over to his desk having a seat in one of the chairs.

Malcolm produced several documents. "Feel free to take your time reading them over. I will be back shortly."

She was relieved that he wasn't going to stare at her while she read. It always made her feel rushed. Jasmine took her time reading everything. It all seemed so surreal. Some of the paperwork had already been completed by Malcolm to get the ball rolling. He had been working on her behalf for weeks before she made it to Charming.

Fifteen minutes later Malcolm walked back into the office and smiled seeing Jasmine resting against the back of the chair. "Do you have any questions?"

Jasmine said, "No, I don't believe so. Thank you for all of your help. Thank you for going out of your way to find me."

"Well, Mr. Hale seemed very invested in making sure that you and his children would be provided for in the event of his demise. He was very insistent on everything going smoothly if something ever happened to him. As the executor of his estate it is my responsibility to locate all of his heirs. I just hope I am making this process as easy for you as I can."

"You definitely have, Mr. Johnson. If there isn't anything else…I really need to get going. I have a million things to do today," said Jasmine.

Malcolm smiled. "No, that is everything for now. I will get these documents to the county clerk and get the deed transfer moving. And I will send off the life insurance policies and the death certificates."

"Thank you."

Jasmine left the office feeling a little better than she had earlier. It made her feel so loved that David had been so concerned about their family. She found herself wishing that she'd moved home sooner. Or convinced him to leave Charming altogether.

She climbed into her car and was about to close the door when a hand yanked it backward.

"I will never know what my brother saw in you. The first time he went out with you me and my father told him that you were wetback gutter trash. But David could see the good in everyone," said Jacob scathingly.

Jasmine climbed out of the car and glared at Jacob. She wasn't a scared 16 year old girl anymore. She refused to be intimidated by him. "You are right about one thing. David wanted to see the good in everyone. Even his pathetic older brother. You broke his heart, Jacob. He knew the truth. You know that. Your brother died knowing that you were nothing but a crook, a racist, and a rapist. He couldn't stand the sight of you."

Jacob stepped closer so that Jasmine was hemmed up against her car. "Spreading lies about the mayor could be bad for your future here. Bad things happen to bad girls."

Jasmine had to suppress the urge to strike him. The words were like pin balls in her head. She remembered him uttering that phrase years before. His aftershave was overwhelming her senses. "Move back or I will knee you in the groin and scream bloody murder."

The mayor glanced around at their surroundings and realized that there were far too many businesses. Anyone could be looking out of a window to witness their heated exchange.

He took a step back and flashed a smile. "I'll see you around…you can bet on that."

Jasmine got into the car and closed the door quickly. Her heart was beating a mile a minute as she watched Jacob walk over to his car. She gripped the steering wheel trying to settle her nerves. In theory being back in Charming was easy. For years she'd told herself that Jacob didn't have power over her. But the startling truth was that the man still scared her. The way he looked at Jasmine made her skin crawl.

She sat in her car for what seemed like forever. Jasmine didn't know where to go or what to do. Going back to the hotel was out of the question. She didn't want her kids seeing her so shaken up. Jasmine knew it was a bad idea but she started up her car and drove toward the Teller-Morrow garage.

When she pulled onto the lot she whipped into a free spot and climbed out of the car. She went to the office to see if Opie was there.

Chuckie looked up from the desk and saw a young woman standing in the doorway. He stood up and smiled. "Uh, can I help you?"

Jasmine's eyes widened at Chuckie's hands but quickly regained her composure. "I am looking for Opie Winston. Is he here?"

Chuckie smiled. "Sure. He's in the garage. I'll go get him for you."

"Thanks…."

Jasmine stepped out of the office and fished a pack of cigarettes out of her purse. She needed something to settle her nerves.

Chuckie went into the garage and spotted Opie. "Uh…Opie. There is a girl here to see you."

Opie was in the middle of trying to finish the repairs on a car they'd had for two days. He was behind the eight ball trying to get the car back to its owner. They needed more help around the garage but hiring in new people was out of the question. "Who is it?"

He cleaned the oil off of his hands and stepped outside. A quick involuntary smile passed over his generally stern face. "Kozik is in the club. Tell him that I need him this car finished by the end of the day."

He walked out of the garage and went to meet Jasmine. "You know those things will kill you."

Jasmine laughed softly and took a drag from her cigarette. "Oh…you don't smoke anymore?"

Opie chuckled softly and pulled a pack of cigarettes out of his pants' pocket. "I'll quit one day. I wasn't expecting to see you until later. Not that I mind seeing you more than once."

"I came by to ask if you'd be willing to help me move my shit into the house. I met with Davy's lawyer this afternoon and he thinks that the house will be mine by week's end. I found out that I get all of the furniture in the house. So, I've got to go through it and toss some of it. Maybe toss some of the shit that I brought along," said Jasmine.

"Of course I will help you, Jasmine. Just let me know when and I'll be there."

"Thanks, Opie. I wasn't expecting to inherit a house full of stuff. I thought Davy would have left some of his things to Jacob or someone else in his family. The stuff from my house should get here in two or three days. If I don't have the house yet I'll just put everything into storage."

He nodded. "We've got a couple of prospects that I can bring along to help out."

She chuckled. "Help out? Or do all the work while you watch?"

"The latter…"

"Lazy ass. I love how you are wearing a tank top to fix cars," Jasmine teased.

"Hey…it's fucking hot in there. All we have are fans running to circulate the air and get rid of the fumes."

She smirked and said, "Poor bastards."

He cocked his head to one side examining her face. Jasmine was smiling but he could tell that it was a half-smile she was struggling to maintain. Her dark eyes seemed sad and her face was tight. "Why don't we go inside? I could use a beer. It is hot as hell out here."

Jasmine laughed. "This weather doesn't feel too bad. All those years in the dessert make this feel like a cake walk. But sure. I wouldn't mind a beer myself if you are offering."

Opie put an arm around her shoulders and walked with her over to the club. "What kind of gentleman would I be if I didn't offer a lovely lady a beverage?"

As they entered the club Jasmine quipped, "How appropriate. You were the first person to ever give me a beer."

Opie walked behind the bar and popped open two bottles. "I have a confession…"

Jasmine took one of the bottles and took a swig. "And what is that?"

"I was trying to get you drunk…"

She laughed and said, "I have a confession too."

Opie quirked an eyebrow. "What?"

"I knew you were trying to get me drunk and I let you," said Jasmine with a smirk.

Opie laughed heartily. "All these years I thought I was the master of deception. I want to talk to you about something in private. Follow me?"

She nodded. "Of course."

They walked down the hallway to the apartment. Opie closed the door behind them.

She whistled softly. "Swanky…"

Opie laughed and plopped on the bed. "It is home sweet home when it needs to be."

He reclined against the pillows on the bed and attempted to get a few moments of relaxation. Most days Opie felt like he never stopped moving. He took a gulp of beer and watched as Jasmine walked around the room examining the posters on the wall. It didn't go unnoticed that she drained the bottle of beer quickly.

She teasingly said, "Nothing makes a man happier than porn."

Opie groaned. "Don't mention porn. The girl I broke up with, Lyla, worked in the industry."

Jasmine turned to face Opie and took a drag from her cigarette. "Behind the camera, right?"

"I wish…"

She chuckled and sat her empty beer bottle on the dresser. "So, she was sucking dicks for a living? No wonder she is your ex."

"Thanks."

Jasmine's face dropped. She walked over to the bed and sat on the side of the bed. "I'm sorry, Ope. That was really rude of me."

Opie reached out and took her hand. "No, you are right. That was one of the main reasons we couldn't work it out. She didn't want to quit. I couldn't live like that."

"I'm sorry…" She squeezed his hand gently. "So, what did you want to talk about?"

"I want to talk about why you are really here. What's wrong?" asked Opie.

"I don't know what you are talking about."

"Yes, you do. You didn't show up to ask me if I'd help you move in to your new house. There is something else wrong. You've always worn your emotions on your face…"

Jasmine looked down at the cigarette nestled in between her fingers. "I didn't realize that Jacob Hale was going to be at the lawyer's office this afternoon. Sitting across from him was…"

Opie tensed hearing that Jacob had been there. He sat up in the bed more with a scowl on his face.

She cast a glance at him and shook her head. "I don't want you to do anything. I'm not looking for a hero. I just…I don't have anyone to talk to about it. If I call my parents they will be worried. My friends back home don't know about the rape. The only person I ever talked about it with was Davy. I could talk to him about the incident…I just wouldn't tell him who did it."

He reached out and pulled Jasmine onto the bed with him. Opie put an arm around her shoulders. He tried to settle down but at the moment he was ready to kill Hale. "What happened?"

"I walked in and saw his face and… I didn't know whether to run away or bash his fucking skull in. We traded insults but it wasn't bad. The will reading went off without a hitch. David left me and the kids everything. Well, except for his share of a horse ranch his family owns. He left that to Jacob. I am glad he did. That place is a fraud. Doping horses, insurance scams, and lying about a horse's lineage. You name it…they've been involved in it."

Jasmine stopped talking as her cigarette burned down to the filter. She grabbed another one from the pack and lit it.

"Anyway, Hale stormed out after finding out that the failing ranch was all he was getting from David's estate. I stuck behind and did some paperwork. When I went out to my car he came out of nowhere. He had been waiting for me to come out. He pushed me up against my car. God, Ope, I felt like I was a kid again. I was scared. I could feel like my fucking adrenaline or something. I felt like my heart was going to pop out of my fucking chest. Having those dead eyes staring at me. And that same horrible aftershave. I mean his face has gotten older but in that moment it was that night all over again. The only thing missing was him smelling of gin."

Through gritted teeth Opie asked, "What happened outside? Did he hurt you?"

She shook her head. "He just talked shit and made some vague threats. I think he's worried I am going to say something about what he did to me. I'm not sure why. The statute of limitations are up. It isn't like I can do any real harm to him."

He caressed her arm. "His balls are attached to the Charming Heights development. Hale's been the driving force behind it and the public face. If it gets out that he's a rapist…he'll be tried in the court of public opinion. And they are far more vicious than a 12 person jury."

"It isn't as if I am going to say anything. The last thing I want to do is walk around Charming being known as the rape victim. I need that like a hole in the fucking head. Henry doesn't need that either."

Opie kissed her temple and said, "I'll respect your wishes about not saying anything to Hale. I don't want to stir anything up for you…be it memories or trouble. But I want you to understand one thing. If he hurts you…all bets are off, Jas."

Jasmine didn't want to admit it but being here with Opie made all sorts of familiar feelings rush back to her. She nodded. "I wouldn't expect anything less from you. Just don't go looking for a fight. The past is in the past and I want to leave it there."

He quirked an eyebrow and asked, "Is that why you are trying to chain smoke? The past being in the past?"

She playfully poked his side. "I am not chain smoking. I just needed something to steady my nerves. A cigarette was the best thing I had at the moment."

"Well, now you got me. I might have something to help settle your nerves…"

Opie pulled a cigar box out of the bedside table and flipped open the top. He grabbed a joint and a lighter from the box.

Jasmine laughed softly. "It's been awhile…"

Opie smirked. "Hale wasn't much of a smoker, huh?"

"Davy wouldn't touch drugs. He freaked the first time he found out I was drinking and smoking with you."

Opie lit the joint and said, "Well, don't let me peer pressure you."

She smirked. "I said Davy didn't touch drugs. I didn't say anything about me. Hand it over."

Opie took a hit and then passed it to Jasmine.

Jasmine put her cigarette out in a nearby ashtray and then took a hit from the joint.

"So, where are your kids?" asked Opie.

"Lily and Danny are out at my aunt Ivy's house in Morada. She's been bugging me about seeing them. And she's offered herself up as a babysitter while I try to get my affairs in order. Henry said he wanted to check out Charming. So, I dropped him off at the old strip mall. He was supposed to call me if he got bored."

"If Henry is anything like me I am sure he can find something to get himself into."

"Maybe I should be more worried about what he's doing. I stopped by the high school today."

He laughed taking the joint back from her. "Why?"

"I needed to register Henry for school. He wasn't thrilled about moving to Charming. The one thing he wanted was to make sure he could try out for the football team here. Tryouts start in July. The coach was so happy to give me a tour of the school. Do you remember Bobby Chappell?"

Opie thought about the name for a minute blowing out a puff of smoke. "Yeah…we went to high school with him. He was on the football team wasn't he?"

She nodded. "Yeah, that's him. I can't believe he's an educator now. Back then Bobby was a letterman jacket wearing speed freak pussy hound. Now he's a married pussy hound."

Opie laughed.

"I swear this town reminds me of Hotel California. You can check out any time you like…."

Opie finished, "But you can't ever leave. I don't know where the fuck I'd go if I ever left Charming. Donna always wanted to move but…this is my home."

"David used to say the same thing. I tried to get him to move to Vegas to be with me and the kids. I didn't really want to move to Charming. But…there was no way he was leaving his hometown. He loved this place and the people in it too much."

Opie went quiet for a minute before looking at Jasmine seriously.

His stare made Jasmine choke on the smoke a little. "What?"

"I know the circumstances aren't good…but for what it is worth… I am glad that you are back in Charming," said Opie.

"I am kinda glad that I am back too. It has been nice seeing your ugly mug again."

Opie laughed and asked "Ugly? You've always loved this face."

Jasmine reached out and lightly tugged on his beard. "I can barely see that face under this ferret you are walking around with."

He laughed harder. "Hey! You wouldn't want me to start pulling on things."

He pretended to reach for her.

Jasmine slapped his arm and shook her head. "Keep your paws to yourself and no one gets hurt!"

Opie just smirked and finished off the joint.

Jasmine rested against the pillows on the bed. "I can't believe I am getting high in the middle of the day. This would be a very bad example for our son."

Opie pulled her tighter against his side. "I vote that we don't tell him about it."

He leaned his head down and kissed her on the lips. "We might not want to mention that either."

Jasmine was a little shell shocked after the kiss. "Uh…yeah we definitely don't want to mention that…"


	3. Responsibilities

After work Opie rode his Harley over to Gemma and Clay's house. He made a habit of stopping by to check in on Gemma a couple of times a week now.

Opie knew that she was having a hard time being confined to the house during her house arrest but beyond that she was worried about Jax, Clay, and the rest of the boys. It was no secret that the Sons didn't have many friends behind those big gray walls. Every day that the guys remained whole was a good day.

Opie was concerned about the safety of their guys on the outside, too. With so many of the Sons serving time SAMCRO made an easy target for anyone that had outstanding beefs with the club.

While the boys were inside the club patched in Kozik and they had three solid prospects that were doing good with the club but it still wasn't enough of a presence.

He came to a stop in Gemma's driveway and killed his engine. He smiled seeing Tara's Cutlass parked in the driveway. This way he could check in with her and Abel, too. Opie was glad to be able to kill two birds with one stone. Sometimes he felt like he never stopped moving.

Opie walked around to the side door and knocked.

Gemma opened the door and smiled seeing Opie. "I was wondering if you were going to stop by today. Come on in, Ope. Do you want something to drink?"

Opie walked into the house closing the door behind him. "Is something broken? Uh, sure I could go for a beer if you have one."

She laughed and said, "No, not this time. I was just looking forward to seeing you. Of course I have beer on hand. What else am I going to fill the time with being stuck in this damn house?"

Opie chuckled softly and had a seat at the table. "So, everything is okay around here?"

Gemma walked to the refrigerator and grabbed two bottles of beer. She popped the tops on both and walked over to the table having a seat across from Opie. "Everything is fine. Tara and Abel have been here all day so that has helped me keep my mind busy. Abel has been running the two of us ragged around here."

Opie picked up his beer and took a hearty gulp. "Glad to hear it. I am glad that Tara is here. I was going to swing by her and Jax's place on my way home to see if she needed anything."

"Well, she wants to talk to you, anyway. So, she will be glad that you stopped by. Tara is giving Abel a bath. She should be out soon," Gemma explained.

Opie quirked an eyebrow and asked, "What does she want to talk to me about?"

"She didn't say. If I had to guess I would assume it is about Visitor's Day this weekend. She is taking a couple days off from the hospital. I know Tara is pretty eager to see Jax."

Opie nodded slightly. "I was going to make the trip out there this weekend to visit Jax. It is good if she wants to go. I can ride with her. Is she taking Abel?"

Gemma shrugged. "I am not sure. We haven't really talked about it. I think Tara is trying to spare my feelings. She knows that it is killing me that I can't go visit my boys."

Opie leaned over and kissed Gemma's cheek. "Your house arrest is almost over and then you'll be able to go. I have to say it will be good to have you back in the office."

Gemma laughed. "Tara said that it looks like a hurricane hit it. I feel like I will be in an ass kicking mood when I step into the office."

Opie shook his head and heaved a sigh. "I've been trying to keep everything together."

Gemma frowned and then reached over squeezing Opie's hand. "Hey, you have been doing a damn good job, Opie. You have kept everything running while the boys have been gone. You've stepped up to be the leader I've always known you could be. No one is perfect… not even Clay."

"Thanks, Mom. I swear sometimes it feels like I am spinning my wheels. Each day is a carbon copy of the one before it," said Opie. He finished off his beer.

Gemma asked, "Do you want another beer? Are you hungry?"

"No, I probably shouldn't. I still have a couple stops to make after I leave here. I don't have much of an appetite either."

She got up from the table and made a plate for Opie anyway. She set it in front of him and sat back down. "You need to keep your strength up. I can't have you wasting away on me."

Opie looked at the pork chops, mashed potatoes, and green beans on his plate. He had to admit that it looked better than the frozen burrito he'd choked down for lunch. "Thanks…"

"I was thinking that I want to do a family dinner Sunday evening. Get everyone over for a good meal. You can bring the kids over and let them run wild for the day. You deserve a break. And I feel the need to grill something. It'll be a fun time for everyone."

Since the boys had gone to prison Gemma usually hosted a family dinner twice a month. It was her little way of trying to hold the club together as a family. But seeing how stressed out Opie seemed she didn't see a reason why she couldn't do another one.

Opie took a couple of bites and was suddenly very grateful that he'd stopped at Gemma's house before going home.

He chuckled and said, "I wouldn't mind chowing down on a meal that me or Pop didn't make. Besides, Ellie and Kenny love your cooking. They get tired of Pop's military style food. Actually, I wanted to talk to you about the kids."

"Are they okay?" asked Gemma. She immediately became concerned because of the tension she felt coming off of Opie.

"Sure, they are fine. I left work for awhile earlier and picked them up from school. I just got some surprising news today and I am trying to figure out how to tell them. I'm not good with this kind of shit."

"What's going on, Opie?"

"Do you remember Jasmine Bennett?" asked Opie. He started eating dinner realizing that his meal was cooling off while he was talking to Gemma.

Gemma briefly gave it some thought and nodded. "Benjamin and Claudia Bennett's daughter. You certainly had a thing for her in high school. You were obsessed with Jasmine and Jax was obsessed with Tara. Between the two of you I didn't know who was going to run off and elope first. What about her?"

She thought it was strange for him to pull that name out of the air. Gemma hadn't heard from the girl's parents in years.

"She stopped by the garage this morning looking for me. Jasmine wanted to let me know that she's moving back to Charming. She is going to be moving in David Hale's house. He left it to her in his will."

Gemma asked, "Why would he do that? I assumed that David would have left everything to his brother."

"They had a long distance something or other going on. She's got two kids by David. So, he left everything to her," Opie explained.

Gemma blinked slightly. That didn't sound like their morally upright Deputy. David had been a boy scout his entire life. He took the whole law and order…right and wrong thing seriously. She couldn't imagine a situation in which David Hale knocked up a girl and didn't marry her.

Tara paused in the door way and asked, "Who has kids by David?"

Opie looked up seeing Tara. "Jasmine Bennett…"

Tara walked into the room and had a seat at the kitchen table. "Get out of here…I thought she moved in the 10th or 11th grade…."

Opie nodded. "She moved to Nevada with her parents. Apparently, the two of them kept in touch over the years and dated off and on. She's got an 11 year old and a 4 month old by Hale. But that isn't the only news Jasmine dropped on my lap this morning."

Opie stood up and pulled his wallet out of his pocket. He unhooked the chain and took out the picture Jasmine left with him this morning. Opie set the picture in front of Gemma.

Gemma picked up her reading glasses and put them on so that she could get a closer look at the school picture in front of her. She glanced at the picture and then stared at Opie.

It was like looking at a younger version of Opie. The only major difference in appearance was that the boy's complexion was a little darker. He definitely got his skin tone from his half white/ half Argentinean mother.

Tara asked, "What? What is it?"

Gemma handed Tara the picture and asked, "Who is the little boy?"

"That is Jasmine's 16 year old son, Henry," Opie said.

Gemma deadpanned. "She named him Henry? After you?"

Opie shrugged his shoulders. "I didn't ask."

Tara was still staring at the picture in silence. She finally looked back at Opie. "You have a 16 year old son? I am guessing by the look on your face you didn't know about this before today."

She passed the picture back to Opie.

Opie shook his head. "No clue. Now I've got to try to figure out a way to explain to Kenny and Ellie that they have a brother they've never met. Things were just starting to settle down from Lyla and Piper moving out so abruptly. They are just forgiving me for that…"

Tara shook her head. "Why the hell didn't she tell you this shit 16 years ago? She's got a lot of nerve telling you now that she is moving back to Charming. You had a right to be in your son's life."

"It isn't like that…it is complicated. A lot more complicated than I can even go into right now. Let's just say she thought for years that Henry's father was someone else. But with him looking like that…she decided to get a DNA test."

Tara asked, "Complicated how?"

"I promised Jasmine that I wouldn't tell anyone else what happened. I would keep what she told me between the two of us. I'm not going to betray her confidence."

Opie grimaced as he spoke. He was still thinking of ways to crush Jacob Hale's skull. His hands were tied at the moment. He couldn't risk getting sent to prison while the rest of the guys were locked up. Opie would have to bide his time for now.

Gemma saw an all too familiar look on Opie's face. She saw him plotting something and became concerned. Gemma knew very well why Jasmine's parents moved her out of Charming. The girl's father had come to Clay when he first learned of the assault.

Tara offered, "If you tell us we won't say a word to anyone, Opie. Whatever Jasmine told you obviously has you stressed out. You look like you could chew glass."

She nodded to the way Opie was clutching his leather wallet in his massive hand.

Opie glanced down at the wallet and shook his head slightly. He dropped it on the table and closed his eyes for a moment. Opie ran a tired hand over his head pulling off his knit cap.

Gemma said, "She was raped."

Opie's eyes shot to Gemma and gave a questioning glance.

"You know Ben worked in the garage for years. So, when he found out that his little girl had been raped he came to Clay. Wanted to let him know he was quitting the garage. Said if he found out who did it he was going to kill the bastard and he didn't want that blowing back on the club. Clay wouldn't let him quit. Told him that if he found out who did it the club would handle it. The next thing we knew Ben said they were moving to Las Vegas. Never told Clay what happened or who did it."

Opie's jaw tightened listening to Gemma. "Pops knew why Jasmine moved and he never said a damn thing to me?"

Gemma said, "I don't know that Clay relayed the information to Piney at the time. But if he did I am sure that Piney had is reasons for not telling you. He was probably just looking out for you."

"Or he was so busy fucking everything that moved that he didn't realize I loved Jasmine. As much as you can be in love at 17…I was. When she left the way she did…"

"I know, Darlin'…I know," said Gemma. She reached over and lightly squeezed Opie's hand.

She had watched Opie struggle with the heartbreak but she knew then it was for the best. He was too tangled up with the girl to be so young. But he was far too angry for her to tell him that right now.

Opie asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Gemma said, "Clay asked me to keep the information to myself. It wasn't something that Ben wanted to get around Charming. Besides, I thought it'd do you more harm than good. We all thought you were a little too wrapped up in the girl. You know how Mary felt about Jasmine."

"Mary never liked Jasmine anyway…."

Gemma smiled slightly. "You boys don't understand how hard it is to realize that your sons are getting to that age where they no longer need or want you around. It is twisted but when you realize they are in love it makes you worry that you are going to lose them altogether. Don't be so hard on Mary. I was guilty of the same thing with Tara."

Tara shook her head. The hate that Gemma used to have for her was palpable whenever they were around one another. She was glad that those days were now over. She preferred having Gemma as a mother and a confidant.

"What do I tell my kids?" asked Opie getting back to his original question.

Gemma gave it some thought and said, "All you can do is be as honest with them as you can be under the circumstances. Tell them that you had a girlfriend in high school. You two were irresponsible and she got pregnant. Her parents moved her away so you haven't been in Henry's life. They aren't babies. They are old enough to understand. They understand you and Lyla breaking up. They will be able to understand this."

Opie gave a tired smile and said, "They can't hate me anymore than they already do."

Gemma said, "Just think they aren't even at the age where they really start to hate you. That happens when they are teenagers and think they know everything."

Opie laughed quietly. "Ellie is definitely at that point. She gives me a run for my money at every turn."

"Well, that is because she is a girl. Girls are devious. I am damn glad I never had a daughter. Boys are easier to deal with."

Opie nodded and said, "I don't know about my little Ellie being devious. She is still my angel but she does have more emotions than Kenny does. Ellie gets upset and locks herself up in her room. At that age I was getting into fights to deal with my anger. It is better that way."

Gemma laughed. "If Ellie came home bruised up from a fight I don't think I'd be able to hold you back."

Tara chuckled and agreed, "That is for sure. He still tries to dress Ellie like she is eight years old."

"Hey, that is the age that I am comfortable with. I sort of understand what to do with that age group. Teenager…I got no idea what I am doing with Ellie. Thanks for the advice on how to handle the kids. I am going to go home sooner or later and sit them down for a talk. Afterward I am supposed to go over to Jasmine's hotel to meet Henry."

Gemma said, "Well, you should invite Jasmine and her kids over to the house for family dinner this Sunday. That will be a real low pressure environment for you to introduce Henry to Kenny and Ellie."

Opie couldn't argue with that idea. He'd have back up if things went to hell quickly.

"What dinner?" asked Tara.

Gemma said, "I was talking to Ope before you came in the kitchen and decided that we could all benefit from a family dinner Sunday. Especially, after you get back from seeing Jax."

She flashed a knowing smile at her daughter-in-law-to-be.

Tara said, "That is a great idea. Uh, I was thinking about going to visit Jax Saturday. It's been so long since I've seen him. Too long."

Opie said, "I was going to go up to see him. We can just ride together. That way I know you got there safely and back home safely. It is best to leave out early Saturday. You want to be at the prison before visiting hours even start. There will be a line and everyone has to go through security which makes the process even longer."

Tara nodded and said, "Okay. I don't care what time I have to leave out as long as I get to see Jax."

Gemma stood up from the table. "I am going to go check on my grandson."

She left the two of them alone in the kitchen.

Once Opie was sure that Gemma was out of earshot he looked at Tara and asked, "How is she really holding up?"

Tara shrugged. "I can't tell day to day. I do know one thing…she seems worried. Should I be worried, Opie?"

Opie finished eating dinner and leaned back in the chair a little. "I did five years and walked out of the door just fine. But prison isn't a safe place and we have enemies you know that. The same enemies we have on the outside we have on the inside. But from all accounts Jax is fine in there. They haven't had any problems."

He had walked as close to the truth as he could without lying to Tara or alarming her. The truth was they had made more enemies since he'd been in prison. The brotherhood and Russians chief among them.


	4. Doubt

Opie knocked on Jasmine's hotel room door hoping that it wasn't too late. He glanced at his watched and realized that is was right at 11:00. Opie ran a frustrated hand over his hair thinking about the situation he found himself in.

Seeing Jasmine today had stirred up old feelings that Opie believed had long since died. And yet there they were again and he had no idea what to do with them. To make matters more complicated he had a 16 year old son that he knew nothing about and that knew nothing about him.

Opie had some serious concerns about how he'd fit into the life of a boy that was nearly an adult. Although he had no fault in his lack of a relationship with Henry it seemed to be the overarching theme of his life. He wasn't there for his kids and he didn't know them.

Jasmine opened the door and frowned seeing Opie standing there. She could see the slightly glazed look in his eyes and knew that he'd been drinking tonight. Jasmine said, "Hi, Opie. I was starting to think that you weren't going to show up tonight."

Opie looked past Jasmine and saw that all of the lights in the room were off. The only source of illumination came from the flickering television. He spotted a portable crib in the corner of the room. "Sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up."

"You didn't wake me up. I was just watching TV. I can't do much else with me sharing a room with Lily and Danny. I don't want to wake them up by moving around too much."

Opie asked, "Where's Henry?"

"I got him a room of his own. It is next to mine. I figured he was old enough to stay in a room by himself. Besides, I didn't think he'd like sharing a tiny hotel room with his mother and two younger siblings. I don't know if he is still up or not, but I can knock and see," Jasmine said.

Opie shook his head. "Oh okay. You are probably right at 16 he needs a little space. That's okay. It is probably best that I don't see him tonight. I'm not at my best."

Jasmine nodded. "I can see that. Does this sudden urge to drink have anything to do with me telling you about Henry?"

Opie sighed a little not sure how to say what was on his mind.

Opie's sigh said more than enough for Jasmine. "Listen, I didn't come here to stir up trouble in your life, Ope. If you don't want to get to know Henry…I ain't gonna hold it against you. You got your own life that you are trying to live."

Opie quickly said, "No, it isn't that at all. Henry's my son…my flesh and blood. That means something to me. I want to get to know him, Jas. That is one thing that you don't have to doubt."

Jasmine nodded slightly but looked confused. "Then what's going on, Opie? I don't understand."

Opie asked, "Can you come out and sit in the truck with me? This might take awhile."

Jasmine's eyes moved to the tow truck parked in front of her room. She nodded. "Sure. I'll be out in a minute."

Opie nodded and walked out to the truck and lit a cigarette. He took a drag as he leaned against the truck waiting for Jasmine to return. Opie was grateful for the short reprieve. He needed to work out what he wanted to say to her.

A few minutes later Jasmine walked out of the room with her cell phone in hand. She closed the door and joined Opie at the truck.

He opened the door of the truck for her.

"Thanks."

Jasmine climbed into the truck and had a seat. She tossed her cell phone onto the dash.

Opie walked around to his side of the truck and climbed in. He frowned seeing the screen lit up on the phone. "Phone call?"

Jasmine said, "Oh, no. I used the room phone to call my cell before I left out of the room so that I can hear if Lily or Danny wakes up while I am out here with you."

Opie chuckled softly. "Smart."

Jasmine asked, "What's going on, Opie?"

Opie chuckled nervously. "Straight to the point, huh?"

"Well, you know me...I've always been direct."

"You've come back to town at a time when my life is spiraling out of control. I was going to come over tonight to meet Henry but after telling Ellie and Kenny about him…I didn't have the heart to disappoint another one of my kids tonight."

"What are you talking about?"

"Telling the kids about Henry didn't really go as well as I hoped. They were not happy at the idea of another change. I can't say that I blame them. I rushed into a relationship that I was not ready for. I moved a woman and her son into my home not long after Donna died. She was there when I was struggling just to get through the days. I think I didn't want to be lonely and I wanted a mother figure for my kids so I pushed something that wasn't right. And like most relationships started for the wrong reasons we broke up and it was bad. She packed up her son and moved out without a word to me or the kids," Opie explained.

Jasmine's expression saddened. She reached over and squeezed Opie's arm in support. "I am sorry to hear that your relationship didn't work out. I can't believe that she just walked out on you like that."

Opie shook his head. "I can't blame her for leaving me. I cheated on her. At the end of the day the break up was mutual. I didn't trust her and to be honest her career was always going to be a problem. I cared about her…still do. I might have even loved her. But I wasn't in love with her. It was stupid of me to force a relationship like that."

"Sometimes you make the wrong decision for the right reasons. Or at least what you think are the right reasons. Doesn't make you good or bad just misguided…"

Opie cocked his head to the side looking at the expression on Jasmine's face. "Are you speaking from experience?"

Jasmine nodded slightly. "I loved Davy. He was a good man, a good father, and a good cop. I would have done anything for him…but I wasn't in love with him. That's part of the reason I resisted moving back to Charming for so long. I was scared that I'd hurt Davy and lose him for good. Turns out I lost him anyway…"

"Hale always seemed like the type to marry someone he got pregnant. I'm kind of shocked the two of you weren't married," said Opie.

"Well, David wanted to get married when I got pregnant with Lily years ago but I turned him down. I didn't want him to marry me because I was pregnant. That was no way to start a life together. Besides he wanted me to move back to Charming and I wasn't strong enough to do that yet. There was no way that I could live in the same town with Jacob after what he did to me."

Opie asked, "And now?"

"Time, maturity, and years of therapy have gotten me to a point in my life where I am healed. That night is still a part of me and it always will be, but it doesn't haunt me anymore. I don't relive it anymore."

"I am glad to hear that you've healed. I just wish I would have known back then. I understand your reasons for not telling me but…things could have been different, Jas."

Jasmine shook her head. "I hate that you didn't get to raise Henry or even know him. I regret that more than anything, but I also believe that everything happened for a reason."

"What are you talking about?" Opie asked.

"Well, what part of your life would you change? And what would you be giving up for those changes? If I had stayed in Charming…if I had known that Henry was your son…I have no doubt that we would have gotten married. Both of our families were old fashion. So, if you married me you wouldn't have married Donna and you wouldn't have had your two beautiful kids. I wouldn't have had Lil and Danny. Those kids have made my life better. I am the woman I am today because I had to grow up and raise them. I wouldn't trade them for the world."

Opie nodded in agreement. He knew that she was absolutely right. Opie adored his children and he loved Donna more than anything. "I went to the club and drank for awhile tonight because I realized that Henry is another kid that I am going to disappoint."

"Why would you think that? Henry is a pretty easy going kid. He's a pain in my ass but he's a good boy," said Jasmine.

Opie chuckled. "I spent five years in prison, Jas. I don't know Kenny and Ellie at all. I came home for a few months and I got their mother killed. Then I went into a depression and I ignored them and let my parents look after them. And when they decided they'd had enough of picking up my slack I hooked up with Lyla and then she took care of my kids. And the fucked up thing is I still don't know them. I am trying to be a father to them now but they aren't interested. And finding out about Henry…it is going to be another failure on my part. Another kid I don't know. Another kid that doesn't know me."

Jasmine said, "Opie, you are being too hard on yourself when it comes to Henry. You haven't even met him. He is going to love you."

"How do you know that?"

Jasmine could see how down Opie was. It seemed like he was at his wits' end. "You are a good man and you care about your children. You want to be better and that means something. Some guys don't give their kids the time a day. If you put forth the effort it will work out. I believe that in my heart. And not just for Henry but for your two kids, too. God knows my father had his issues but he was there and he loved me. That made all the difference in the world."

Opie fell silent for a minute. He stared at Jasmine thinking how much it seemed she'd stayed the same over the years. Sure he could see the small changes that happened over the years but she was still very much the girl he fell in love with.

"So, what are you going to tell Henry about me not being in his life? That gonna land on me?" asked Opie quietly.

Jasmine was shocked by the accusation. "Of course not. I would never do that to you or Henry for that matter. The last thing he needs is to think that he has a father that didn't want him. That sort of thing can really mess up a kid. I am going to get as close to the truth as I can get. I am going to tell him that I didn't know that you were his father because you weren't the only person that I was seeing at the time. It can be sort of a PSA for not having multiple sex partners."

"No, I am not going to have him thinking his mother was some kind of slut because you weren't."

"Well, what exactly do you suggest? I am not about to tell our 16 year old son that I was raped. How does that play out? It is the very last thing he needs right now. This can't be about me. It has to be about what is best for Henry and what is best is knowing that if you had known about him…you would have been there for him. I don't mind taking the heat for the situation. He's already pretty pissed at me."

"Pissed at you? Why?" asked Opie.

"Well, I lied to him for years about David being his father. I moved him away from his friends and family in Las Vegas. I moved him away from his girlfriend that he is apparently in love with. I won't let him get a tattoo. He can't drive here until he gets his license here. We left his car back in Las Vegas."

Opie chuckled slightly. "Oh…so you are the mean mom. Why no tattoo? I remember a certain someone getting a tattoo at 15."

"He wants a huge fucking tattoo, Opie. He wants something that goes down the length of his arm. That shit isn't happening on my watch. I got a couple of tattoos as a teenager. But I did that shit without asking my parents. They never would have gone for it," said Jasmine.

He paused a moment and smirked. "You still got those tattoos?"

Jasmine quirked an eyebrow at Opie and said, "Get your mind off of my backside."

"If memory serves me right…that tattoo on your lower back isn't the only one you've got that belongs to me. Did David make you get rid of them?" asked Opie.

He chuckled at that notion. Jasmine had always been stubborn as a mule. She was the type of person that was contrary for the sake of being contrary. Telling her not do something was like begging her to do it.

"Every tattoo I've ever gotten means something to me. I'd never get rid of any of them. They're all right where they are supposed to be."

Opie smirked. "My memory is fuzzy…maybe I can get a look at them at some point."

Jasmine just laughed and shook her head. "We are supposed to be talking about our son. Not about my tattoos. But if we are going to talk about tattoos…do you still have the one you got for me? Or did you cover it when you got married?"

He shook his head. "I thought about it after I got married. Donna asked me a couple of times what it meant. I just uh…avoided the question. You were an important part of me. I'd never get rid of that."

She reached out and squeezed Opie's hand. "I feel the same way. I could never get rid of my tattoos. You meant too much to me to pretend like none of it ever happened."

Opie leaned over and kissed her on the lips.

Jasmine pulled back and shook her head. "We both need to behave ourselves."

"I've always found it hard to behave myself when you are around," said Opie.

It wasn't a pick up line. It was the truth. When he was close to Jasmine he had a hard time not touching her. It wasn't even sexual. Well, at least not completely. Seeing her this morning made all of those old feelings come rushing back. There was a time in his life when he couldn't imagine not being with Jasmine. Everyone wrote it off as puppy love but Opie knew different then. And he knew different now. He had a connection with Jasmine that he couldn't properly explain but he knew it was there.

"Things like this afternoon can't happen…"

"Nothing happened. Two old friends were catching up and we sort of took a nap together. That is completely innocent. And it was the best sleep I've had in a long time."

She laughed. "That is not what I'd call innocent, Opie."

She would never say it out loud but it was the best sleep she'd gotten in awhile too. There was comfort to be found in Opie's strong arms. Although they both had matured during their time apart there was still so much of the Opie she used to know.

"What could be so wrong about two friends reminiscing?"

"I just lost David and it sounds like you just got out of a pretty bad relationship. We are both a mess. The last thing we need to do is to start fooling around. Nothing good can come of it. I want you to be a father to Henry," said Jasmine.

Opie looked at her with a serious expression on his face. "Nothing is going to stop me from being there for Henry. I might not do a great job and he might hate me, but I'll be there. You and I spending time together won't change that."

"Okay put it another way. What kind of example am I setting if I start fooling around with you so soon after losing David? Jumping into a relationship or a casual sex situation doesn't give much credence to the 'not a whore' defense. I don't want Henry and Lily feeling like I am disrespecting Davy's memory."

Opie groaned at her argument because he couldn't counter it. There was a distinct possibility that they would feel that way. He'd gotten that lecture from his children that evening. They were pissed and were finally in a place to tell him what they really thought about his moves. It was something he wasn't prepared for. "What is an appropriate mourning period?"

"I don't know, Opie. There isn't some sort of predetermined date. I may not have been in love with Davy but I loved that man. And it hurts that he is gone now. I still find myself dreaming about him from time to time. The wounds are still fresh. If they are that fresh for me, I can't imagine how my kids feel."

Opie nodded and said, "I'm sorry if I came on strong. I just...being around you again. I don't know how to explain it. It just felt right."

She smiled softly and said, "I am comfortable to you. You already care about me and you know that I care about you. I'm the easy choice...the safe choice. I've never known you to be a coward, Winston."

Opie opened his mouth to say something but stopped seeing the door to Henry's hotel room open. He nodded his head at the door to get Jasmine's attention.

Henry walked out of the room wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top.

Jasmine was about to get out of the truck to get his attention when she realized that he was heading off in a completely different direction. "Where the hell is he going?"

Opie shushed her and watched as Henry hopped into a lime green car that was waiting on the main road.

"That little bastard! His first night in town and he decides it is a good time to sneak out after curfew?"

Opie chuckled. He was more amused than angry at the moment. "He's the new kid in town. He probably met some local kids that wanted to hang out tonight. It is no big deal. I'll go pick him up and bring him back here."

"He's my son. I am going to go get him myself. I am going to grab him by the ear and drag him all the way back here if I have to."

"So, your plan is to humiliate the son that is already seriously pissed at you?" asked Opie.

Jasmine crossed her arms over her chest. "If I don't keep a tight hold on the reigns he is going to run over me, Ope. Henry is already taller and bigger than I am. I've got to keep some type advantage over him."

Opie said, "You don't have to be the heavy on your own. You have me to help out now. I'll go and bring him back. I'm his dad after all."

She sighed softly but finally nodded. "Fine...bring him back here. I'll be in my room."

Jasmine hopped out of the truck feeling more than a little pissed. She watched as Opie tore out of the parking lot trying to catch up with the shitty lime green ford focus that Henry had climbed into.


	5. Anyone Seen My Baby?

Nearly an hour later Opie flew through the streets of Charming trying to locate Henry. The shitty green car had pulled off so quickly that he hadn't been able to catch up with it. Now Opie was driving by all of the local hang-out spots teenagers tended to congregate at.

The funny thing about small towns was that the hang-out spots never really changed. Charming was still the little one-horse town he'd grown up in. Just like when he was a teenager the parks, strip mall parking lot, and make-out point were the most common spots.

So far he was out of luck. All of the usual places were deserted. However, that did mean one thing…there was a party going on somewhere in Charming and that was the likely destination of Henry and his newly made friends.

Opie knew he had a narrow window of time to find Henry before Jasmine would take matters into her own hands. She had never been a very patient person and he had no doubt that she was protective of her oldest child.

As a last ditch effort he drove toward the make-out point. It was really just a hillside that overlooked Charming. Not that there was that much to see where Charming was concerned.

Opie slowed down as he approached the hill. The dirt road leading to the make-out point was lined with a dozen or more cars. The lime green Ford Focus stuck out like a fluorescent sore thumb.

Opie found a spot to park and climbed out of the truck. He began trudging up the hill hearing loud music playing in the distance. Opie shook his head seeing a few cars with foggy windows. He chuckled slightly thinking about the good old days with Jasmine. The backseat of Mary's Oldsmobile had seen a lot of action when Opie was in high school.

As he approached the top of the hill he could see a bon fire burning. Empty beer bottles and cans were strewn around the dusty make-out spot. His eyes shifted to a large group of kids cheering on what appeared to be a fight. Opie groaned realizing he'd have to break it up. "When did I become the responsible adult?"

He strode over to the crowd with an annoyed expression on his face. Opie got the strangest feeling that he'd find his kid in the middle of that circle.

Several kids spotted him and took off because he was an adult. However, more of them ran off because he was SAMCRO.

Opie marched into the middle of the throng of teenagers and sure enough there was a shirtless Henry beating up some poor bastard. He watched the fight momentarily taking in the kid's skill level. Henry was more than efficient with his fists. It was obvious that he was more than brute force. Someone had taught him how to fight over the years. His money was on Jasmine.

Finally, Opie snapped out of his paternal reverie and whistled loudly.

The whistle caught Henry off guard and he looked in Opie's direction. He groaned realizing that he was toast. Henry immediately recognized Opie from the pictures Jasmine showed him. The teen shoved his opponent to the ground like a sack of potatoes and walked toward Opie. "Did my mom send you looking for me?"

Opie nodded slightly. "Yeah…she did. You are lucky I talked her out of looking for you herself. You can guess how good that shit would have turned out."

Henry shrugged slightly and said, "I wanted to meet some friends no big deal. She said she was moving us to Charming because it was safer."

The older man chuckled and shook his head. "I wouldn't recommend you use that argument or tone with Jasmine. She's liable to kick your ass across the parking lot. Let's get you back to your mother before she kicks both of our asses."

Henry nodded slightly. He picked up his shirt off of the ground and groaned in pain. The bastard had managed to deliver a couple of body shots that were sure to leave a mark. He pulled the shirt on over his head after shaking off all of the dirt. "Before we go I want to check on this girl that I met here tonight. I want to make sure that she is going to be okay. Maybe we could give her a ride home?"

Opie nodded slightly and chuckled. "You've met a girl already? You really are my kid."

Henry snorted but shook his head. "No, it isn't like that. She's way too young for me. That is what started the fight. Some guy was trying to force her into his car. She didn't seem into him or the idea of getting in the back of his car. I don't even think she's in high school yet. She looks like a kid. When I told him to back off he got pissed off and swung at me. You can figure the rest out."

That information struck a nerve in Opie. He'd always been the protective type but he knew that Jasmine's confession about her own rape was fueling his rage. Opie looked backward to where the fight was to see if he could still see the little punk but the kid had vanished from sight. He shook his head and said, "It's good that you stood up for the girl."

"It was creepy that she looked so much younger than him. But it really wasn't cool that it looked like he was trying to force her into his car. A couple of guys told me to leave it alone because he's in college but I said screw that. He hit like a girl for him to be in college." Henry on the ground seeing some blood come out with the saliva.

Opie nodded and said, "You look for the girl. I am going to go call your mom and let her know that you are safe and sound. Here take my shirt maybe Jasmine won't freak out as much if she doesn't see the bruises and the blood."

Henry accepted the plaid button up shirt and put it on. He said, "Thanks, but Mom is used to seeing me bruised up from fights. I won't take long. I just want to make sure she has a way home."

He walked off to find the girl from earlier and found her with relative ease. The younger girl was standing off by herself with her arms securely folded over her chest. It almost looked as if she was hugging herself. Her teary blue eyes repeatedly scanned the departing crowd as if she was looking for a familiar face. The moonlight glinted off her long blond hair as the wind started to pick up. She was wearing a black and blue striped mini skirt and a black tank top.

Henry approached her and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Hey…"

The girl smiled a little. "Uh, hey. Thanks for earlier. I mean you didn't have to do that."

He shook his head a little and said, "Yeah, I did have to do that. I have a little sister. She's probably a couple years younger than you. I'd freak out if some asshole was trying to make her do something she didn't want to do. How do you know that guy?"

She shook her head a little. "His name is Trent. I don't really know him. I met him here tonight. I came with a couple of friends but they ditched me earlier in the night. He seemed really nice at first. Trent said that he'd keep me company until they came back from the cars."

She shrugged her shoulders in defeat. "I guess you think I'm pretty stupid, huh?"

Henry shook his head. "No, I think that guy is a son of a bitch. How old are you anyway?"

"I'm 16…"

He chuckled and shook his head. "You definitely aren't 16. If I had to guess…I'd say you were 14."

She smiled sheepishly and said, "I will be in a couple months."

"You make a habit of going to high school parties?" he asked with a smile.

"I'm not a kid. I'm in the eighth grade. I take math and foreign language at the high school. And I go to parties sometimes. Tonight I was here with a couple friends. What about you? Are you from Charming? I don't think I've seen you around before."

"They aren't very good friends if they left you alone like that. No, I just moved here with my family. I met some guys on the football team earlier and they invited me to the party," Henry explained.

Her face twisted into a small scowl. "Yeah, I was sort of getting that feeling, but Alyssa is my best friend. She has been since first grade."

"A best friend wouldn't leave you to fight off some perv college student that wanted to have sex with you. I know it isn't my business but maybe you should rethink your friends…and coming to these parties. They aren't really safe. Sometimes the people you think are your friends will stab you in the back."

She rolled her eyes and asked, "What about you? You're at this party."

He smirked and said, "Look at me. I don't think any guy is going to try to drag me into his backseat."

She laughed quietly and said, "Okay…maybe you have a point there."

"I was wondering if you needed a ride home? Or help finding your friends?" Henry asked.

She looked up at the sky hearing thunder cracking overhead. The last thing she wanted was to be stranded out here in the rain. Her eyes lit up a little. "I'd like that a lot. I've been looking for my friends but…I haven't seen them. I think they took off without me."

Henry frowned seeing the glassy look in her eyes. He could tell that she had been crying at some point. Henry took off the plaid shirt Opie had given him and handed it to the girl as it started to rain. "Come on, my old man is waiting for me. He's the one that broke up the fight."

The girl draped the oversized shirt over her head and followed him down the hill. She could see that the majority of the cars were gone. Any hope that her friends hadn't left her was now gone. "Thanks. What's your name?"

Opie looked up hearing feet shuffling down the hill. He recognized Henry's large frame but for a moment he thought he recognized the girl as well. He squinted in the darkness to make out the features of her face.

"Oh, my name is Henry. Henry Bennett. What's your name?"

She smiled a little and said, "It's nice to meet you, Henry. My name is…"

Opie stormed toward them and bellowed. "Ellie, what the hell are you doing here?!"

Ellie backed away as Opie continued lumbering toward them. She thought her heart was going to burst out of her chest. "Daddy!"

Opie's long stride allowed him to close the space between them quickly even though she was retreating. "Ellie, what the hell are you doing here? You told me that you were going to Alyssa's house to spend the night!"

She stammered nervously, "I-I-I did go to Alyssa's house, but her sister, Chloe, said that she knew where this really cool party was tonight. She brought us here."

His jaw tightened as his mind raced around the situation. His little girl, who was only in junior high school, was at a party surrounded by older boys and beer. Worse yet some little son of a bitch had tried to force her into a car. "I'll kill him!"

Opie walked away from Ellie and Henry. At the moment he wanted to break something in half. He paced down the road on his cell phone.

Ellie looked at Henry feeling the tears about to fall. She'd never seen Opie so angry at her. In truth because of the way Donna died Opie wasn't much of a disciplinarian. "Uh, you and your dad can go. That's my dad. I guess he found out somehow that I was here. I am in so much trouble."

She sighed and ran a hand through her blond hair.

Henry chuckled and shook his head. This was definitely a fucked up situation. "Uh…you remember when I was saying that my old man was here to get me? Well, that's him. My mom sent him to find me tonight."

She blinked in disbelief. "Wait…you're the kid he had with his girlfriend in high school?"

He nodded. "And you're the kid he had with the chick he married after high school."

"Oh fuck…" muttered Ellie. She walked away from Henry and covered her face with her hands.

Henry watched her closely. This wasn't exactly the place to wander off. He couldn't believe this girl was his half-sister. However, the more he thought about her features she did sort of look like Opie and by extension him.

"This is so fucked up. I was totally going to give you my number. I thought you were cute and sweet. You're my brother. What kind of hillbilly shit is this?"

Henry chuckled and said, "I wouldn't have taken the number. You're way too young for me. So it wouldn't have gone anywhere."

"Not the point!" groaned Ellie. She was absolutely mortified.

Opie marched back up the hill and growled, "Get in the truck! Both of you. Henry, your mother is going to meet us back at my house."

Ellie said, "Daddy…"

The older man just shook his head. "Just get in the truck, Ellie. We'll talk at home."

The two teenagers followed Opie down the hill to the tow truck. Henry opened the door and waited for Ellie to get in.

She shot him a pleading look. The last thing she wanted to do was to be stuck sitting next to Opie the whole ride home.

He chuckled and said, "Sorry, kid, but I'm too tall to sit in the middle."

Ellie groaned as she climbed into the truck. She slid next to Opie and folded her arms over her chest again. She stared out the windshield not daring to look to her left or her right.

Henry closed the truck door.

"Put on your seatbelts," muttered Opie as he started the truck.

The drive back to Opie's house was quiet and torturous. No one really wanted to say anything to disturb that quiet. Speaking would be much worse than the awkward silence they were steeped in.

As soon as the truck came to a stop at the house Henry hopped out. He knew Ellie was more than ready to get out of the confined space of the truck. The girl had been fidgeting the entire ride home.

She quickly climbed out of the truck with her house keys in hand. She unlocked the front door and ran into the house.

Opie just sat in the truck. He wasn't ready to go in and deal with her yet. He wasn't ready to deal with any of this. Moments like these he missed Donna more than he already did. She would know what to do and what to say. He just wanted to lock Ellie in her room until she was 35 or 40. He thought that was a reasonable age for his little girl to start dating.

Opie glanced over at Henry and said, "Go ahead in the house. Jasmine will be here soon."

The boy nodded slightly and closed the door leaving Opie alone. He walked into the unfamiliar house and glanced around at his surroundings. His eyes fell on an array of photos placed around the room. Henry didn't see Opie in very many of the pictures but they did feature Ellie, Kenny, and a woman he assumed was Opie's wife.

He had a seat on the couch to wait for his mother to show up. Henry knew all too well the lecture he was going to get from Jasmine. She'd been tough on him his whole life. His mother had never laid a hand on him but she could think up truly diabolical punishments. He figured he was in for one of those right now.

Piney walked into the living room with a beer in his hand. He plopped into a recliner and looked over at Henry.

Henry watched the older man and figured that he should explain his presence in the house. He said, "Uh, Opie, told me to come in here and wait on my mother."

The older man just nodded and turned on the television. Piney had been present earlier when Opie told the kids about Henry. He couldn't say that he was very shocked. There was no secret that Opie was sexually active when he was dating Jasmine. It was a fact that drove Mary crazy. She was terrified he was going to make her a grandmother. Turns out she was right on that front.

Piney said, "I'm Ope's father. You're Henry, right?"

Henry said, "Uh, yeah I am."

"You spending time with your old man is good. Boys need a father," said Piney.

"Well, we weren't really hanging out. I snuck out and my mom sent him to look for me. And…I had a father."

Piney chuckled a little. The kid was all Opie. "You had a father?"

"Yeah. I grew up thinking my sister and brother's father was mine too."

"He treat you good?" asked Piney, he took a swig from his beer bottle.

"Yeah…yeah. He was always good to me. He treated me like I was really his son. I never knew any different until my mom told me. He wasn't around much though. He lived in a different state. He lived here," said Henry.

Piney's brows rose in curiosity but he didn't press any further. He'd ask Opie for details later. His son had obviously left out some information earlier. He turned to one of the news channels and relaxed.

Henry stared up at the ceiling feeling bored and wondering just how pissed off Jasmine would be when she showed up.

Outside Opie was standing by the truck smoking a cigarette. He knew eventually he'd have to go inside and deal with his little girl. Or his not so little girl as was the case tonight. He hardly recognized her in the short skirt and heavy make-up.

He looked up seeing headlights coming toward his house. He chuckled as Jasmine whipped into his driveway behind the truck. Opie flicked the cigarette onto the groaned and stepped on it. He walked back to her car and leaned down looking into the car window. "I didn't even think about the fact you'd have to bring the kids with you."

She nodded. "I couldn't leave them at the hotel by themselves, Ope. I really don't feel like taking them out of the car. Could you tell Henry to get out here?"

He said, "Actually, I was hoping that you'd come inside. I really need your help right now."

Jasmine turned off the car and cocked her head to the side. "What's going on, Ope? Is something wrong with Henry?"

"He's a little bruised up. I broke up a fight tonight between him and some little son of a bitch. The real problem is that he got into a fight to protect a younger girl from this creep. This guy was trying to take advantage of her."

For a moment Jasmine drifted into her own world. She shook her head and asked, "Is this girl okay?"

"I don't really know. I haven't had the heart to ask her. The girl is my daughter, Ellie," said Opie.

Her eyes went wide and she sighed. She took the keys out of the ignition and asked, "Could to get Lil out of the car for me? I don't really want to wake her up a second time."

"I've got it covered. Don't worry about it. Thank you for coming in with me. I don't really know what to say to her. Ellie ran into the house when we've got home and I've been too much of a coward to go in after her," said Opie.

Jasmine got out of the car and hugged Opie. "You are her father. No matter what just make sure she knows that you love her. You're pissed off but you love her."

Opie took a breath and sighed. He gently kissed her full lips. The biker smiled at the stunned look on Jasmine's face. "For luck," he explained. Opie opened the back door and lifted Lily out of the car after unbuckling her seatbelt.

Jasmine walked around to the other side of the car and unlocked the carrier from the carseat base. She walked into the house since the door was open. Jasmine placed the baby's carrier on the other end of the sectional couch Henry was seated on. She had never been so relieved to see her son but she was furious at the same time.

Opie walked into the house a few moments later carrying Lily and a diaper bag. "I am going to put Lily in the guest room so that we don't wake her up. I get the feeling that this is going to be a long talk. "

Jasmine nodded and said, "Thanks, Ope."

The big man walked through the house toward the guestroom.

She turned and looked at her son. "Henry Wesley Bennett, what the hell were you thinking sneaking out tonight? You didn't know those boys you left with. What if something would have happened to you? You could have gotten hurt or worse and I wouldn't have even known you were gone! I can't believe you pulled a stunt like this!"

Henry sighed and put his head in his hands. "I'm sorry, Mom. I just wanted to hang out with some new people and I knew you wouldn't let me go because you are so overprotective. I'm not a baby anymore. I'll be 18 in a couple years…I should be able to make my own decisions."

"You're not an adult yet! I am protective of you because I love you and I want to keep you safe. I don't want anything bad happening to you. I don't want you to get mixed up with the wrong people. That's my job. You are my responsibility!"

"I'm sorry. I just wanted to fit in with the guys here. I left all of my friends back in Vegas. I left my girlfriend back in Vegas. I saw on Facebook that she was going to a party with Austin tonight and…I don't know… I guess I just wanted to show her I was done with her too."

Jasmine sighed seeing the pain on her son's face. The girl, Catalina, was Henry's first real girlfriend. The two had been dating for almost a year. And Austin was Henry's best friend. He'd known the boy since fourth grade. Jasmine had a seat next to him. "Baby, why didn't you just tell me what was going on? You know that I am always here for you."

He groaned and replied, "Because I am not a baby. I am not Danny or Lily…you can't make it all better. I just didn't want to think about them tonight."

"I know that I can't make it all better for you and that kills me, but that doesn't mean that I can't listen to your problems or give you a hug. You never get too old for that. Granny gives me a hug whenever I need it," said Jasmine.

He shook his head. "Mom…"

"No, don't mom me. I don't care how old or how big you get, Henry. You are always going to be my baby boy."

He groaned loudly and slumped down on the couch. "I am not your baby boy. You have Danny for that."

Opie stood in the doorway and chuckled. "I hate to tell you kid but it never ends. Even as old as I am…I'm still my mother's baby. If I allowed her to she would smother me whenever she got the chance."

Henry's eyes flicked over to Opie. "How do you make it stop?"

Jasmine smirked. "It never ends. When I look at you I am always going to see my precious little boy that liked playing peek-a-boo with a pot over his head."

Opie chuckled softly.

Henry groaned louder. "So…how much trouble am I in?"

Jasmine hugged him and pecked his forehead. "Well, when I first saw you leaving I decided I was going to take you off the football team and make sure you didn't drive again until you were out of my house."

His eyes widened. "Mom…"

"However, I have calmed down now that I know you are safe. And you were able to save your sister from God only knows what at that party…you're only going to be on restriction for a week. There will be no iphone, ipad, Facebook, or Twitter. I'll figure out the rest of the details later. Maybe Aunt Ivy needs someone to reorganize her garage."

Opie cleared his throat and asked, "How's his filing skills?"

Jasmine quirked an eyebrow and asked, "Need some help cleaning up that pit you call an office."

Opie nodded and said, "He'll be straightening out shit in there for days."

She laughed and said, "Okay. You'll reorganize Aunt Ivy's garage and organize the office at Teller-Morrow. I'll come up with something else awesome."

Henry groaned and said, "I'm going outside."

Opie chuckled. "Don't be so down. When I was your age my pops made me chop wood for 8 hours a day in the middle of the summer for a week as punishment. I damn near lost a finger."

Piney grunted and then laughed. "We had plenty of wood that winter. The shit boys do to impress girls."

Opie looked at Jasmine and smirked. "You were definitely impressed."

The teen's eyes widened at that. "What did you do?"

Jasmine snickered. She remembered that particular punishment. "Nothing…"

Opie laughed harder and looked at Jasmine. There was a devilish glint in his eyes. He looked back at his son and shook his head. "That isn't important. My point is that you are getting off easy. Go on outside."

He headed outside wondering what they could have possibly done.

Opie had a seat next to Jasmine on the couch. "I hope you don't mind me suggesting the office. I figured it would be a way for me to spend some time with Henry."

"I don't mind at all. I think it is a really good idea. He needs to spend time with his father. There is only so much I can do as his mother. You start to lose a little of your fear factor when your kid can pick you up if he wanted to. It is nice to know that you have my back."

Opie reached out and squeezed her hand. "I'll always have your back. You don't have to worry about that."

Jasmine nudged him with her elbow. "Did you try to talk to your daughter?"

"Ellie won't open her door. I knocked and she didn't answer. I really don't know what to do with her. I mean she's never been in trouble before. She's usually the good one. Kenny is the one that gets into trouble," said Opie.

"Well, you have to talk to her. First, you need to know how far things went tonight at that party. Second, you need to know how many times she's gone to parties when she was supposed to be at a friend's house."

"She's my little girl. I am not used to not being able to trust her."

Jasmine said, "Trust, but verify. There is nothing wrong with calling her friend's house to check up on her. Good girls can get themselves into bad trouble just like anyone else. How many times did I lie to my parents about where I was when I was really with you? How many times did I sneak out of my house and meet you around the corner? How many times did I help you sneak into my house after my parents were in bed for the night?"

Opie grumbled and said, "Is this some sort of fucking karmic payback?"

She chuckled softly and rested her chin on his shoulder. "Possibly. However, it is more likely that she's a girl testing her limits and it seems up until now…she hasn't really had any. Go talk to her…"

"And if she won't open the door?"

Jasmine quirked and eyebrow and said, "Then threaten to take the fucking thing off of the hinges."


	6. The Truth Hurts

Opie stood outside of Ellie's bedroom door. He took a breath and knocked loudly. "Ellie, we need to talk. You need to open the door now!"

He stood there feeling a lot less certain than his voice indicated. This was his baby girl and he had no clue how to deal with this situation. He wanted nothing more than to hop on his Harley and go for a ride, but he couldn't run away from this. He couldn't run away from his kids. Opie was their only parent and they needed him to be present. He glanced toward the living room in exasperation.

Jasmine walked into the hallway and nodded at him. "Ope, you can't let her just hide out. She needs you even if she doesn't know it right now."

Opie knocked harder. "Ellie, I am going to count to five and then I am going to break the door down and then you won't have a door. 1…2…3…"

Ellie slowly opened the door and looked up at Opie with dewy eyes. She'd obviously been crying and looked to be on the verge of starting all over again.

Seeing Ellie in tears made Opie want to just hug her and so he did. Opie hugged his little girl as tightly as he could. He didn't want to think about what could have happened to her tonight if Henry wasn't there to look out for her. "What were you doing out there tonight, Ellie?"

She reluctantly broke away from her father's hug and walked over to her bed. She grabbed an oversized teddy bear and hugged it to her as she had a seat. Ellie shrugged, "You aren't going to believe me if I tell you. You're mad."

Opie closed the door and grabbed the rolling chair from her desk. He had a seat and said, "I promise that I won't get mad and I won't yell. I just want you to talk to me."

Ellie sighed softly and blinked back tears, "I was telling the truth when I asked to spend the night at Alyssa's house. We were just supposed to hang out and watch movies all night."

She looked down at her outfit and said, "These aren't even my clothes. Chloe let me borrow some stuff from her closet."

"What happened?" asked Opie.

She shrugged and held the teddy bear closer to her. "We watched a movie and then Chloe got a call from her boyfriend. He was going to this party and he wanted her to come with him. Chloe said that she couldn't leave me and Alyssa alone since her parents weren't home. She was responsible for looking after us. She told him that she couldn't go but she was really upset. Chloe thought that Robbie would cheat on her if she wasn't at the party. That's when she decided to just take us with her."

Opie kept quiet even though he wanted to wring Chloe's neck. He'd met the girl a few times in the past. In fact she'd served as a babysitter for Ellie and Kenny before. "Why didn't you just ask Chloe to bring you home? You know right from wrong, Ellie. You are smart and responsible. I trust you to look after yourself and Kenny because I know that you do the right things."

Ellie's eyes watered more as she picked with fuzz on the bear. "I'm sorry for going to the party. It was a stupid idea and I could have gotten hurt. I will never do something like that again. It just sounded like a lot of fun. I've never really been to any parties. I don't really get invited to many by my middle school friends. They don't like me a lot."

"That's not true…"

"How would you know, Dad? You don't ask me about school or my friends. You don't really care what happens to me. Mom cared. Lyla cared. Aunt Tara cares. Aunt Gemma cares. Grandma Mary cares. Grandpa cares. You don't care."

Opie was taken aback by the tone of Ellie's voice but more so the content of her statement. He cared about what happened to his children but he didn't show it. In fact he passed that responsibility off to whatever woman was in his life. Now that he wasn't in a relationship he handed that responsibility over to Mary, Gemma, and Tara. "I do care, baby. I just don't go a real good job of showing it."

Ellie shook her head and said, "You don't care. Everybody else takes care of us. I help take care of Kenny. I help him with his homework and I call Aunt Tara for help with my homework. I make sure that we get up for school on time. I make sure that we have breakfast before we go to school. I make our lunches in the morning. Grandpa and Aunt Tara make dinner for us. We take our dirty clothes to Aunt Gemma's house to be washed. You give us money, take us to school sometimes, and pick us up sometimes."

The biker swallowed visibly. Ellie reminded him so much of Mary that it was uncanny. She looked like her and she knew how to rip into you when she was upset. "You're right…"

Ellie's eyes widened in surprise. She'd been bracing for Opie to blow up at her. "I'm right?"

"You are right. I haven't been a very good father to you and Kenny. You aren't a little kid anymore so I am going to talk to you like the mature young woman that I know you are," said Opie.

She settled back against the pillows on her bed and chewed on her bottom lip nervously. Ellie wasn't used to Opie talking about anything of real substance. That wasn't the way he worked.

Opie stood up and paced the floor of the bedroom a little. "Part of it is the way I was raised. When I was a kid…the father went to work and made money for the family. The mother did everything around the house and with the kids. Your mom was really good at that. She took care of all of us because he loved us so much. And then I went away."

"You went to prison," Ellie clarified.

Opie winced and nodded. "I went to prison because I did something wrong and I was gone for a long time. When I came back home your mom was still here taking care of everything like she always did…she never really needed me. But then she died and I didn't really know how to take care of you guys so I let everyone else take over for me because I knew that they loved you guys."

Ellie sniffled trying to keep her tears at bay. "Sometimes it felt like…you didn't really want us around."

Those words broke Opie's heart. He stopped pacing and walked over to her bed. "I know that it wasn't fair to the two of you but that is going to change. I want to make this better but you've got to help me. You can't keep big stuff like this from me. If you are sad or upset you have to talk to me, Ellie. I'll do whatever you want to make you and Kenny happy."

Ellie started to sob and in a strangled voice she said, "I want to move with Aunt Tara. Kenny wants to move too."

"What?"

"We want to move in with Aunt Tara. She loves us a lot and we spend time with her. We like spending time with Abel too. I know she works at the hospital but we can stay with Aunt Gemma when she's at work," Ellie explained in a shaky voice.

That hurt Opie more than he could have imagined. He couldn't fathom that things had gotten so bad in his home that his children were looking for a way out. "I'm your father. That means you've got to stay here with me. Ellie, I love you and Kenny more than anything in this world. And if I ever lost the two of you I'd die. I know that I haven't been there like I should but I can change all that, but you and Kenny have to be here for it to happen."

Ellie just nodded slightly. "How long am I grounded?"

Opie shook his head. "I don't know. I need some time to think about it. Tonight…did anything happen to you that shouldn't have? I won't be angry I just want to know that you are okay."

"No, I just talked to Trent for awhile and then he asked me if I wanted to listen to music in his car and I agreed. But I got kind of scared on my way to his car. I told him that I changed my mind but he pulled me toward his car anyway and tried to make me get in the back seat, but Henry stopped him. I'm really sorry, Dad."

"I know, baby. I'm just glad that you are okay."

He walked out of the room without another word.

Jasmine was sitting on the couch watching the news with a dozing Piney. She looked up and frowned at the expression on Opie's face. He looked like he was about to cry. Jasmine went over to him without giving it a second thought. "What happened?"

Opie shook his head unable to speak at the moment.

She reached up and cradled his face in her hands. "What can I do to help?"

"I need to get out of here. Come with me."

Jasmine thought about the kids but then nodded. "Piney is drunk and half asleep. Henry is here. He can look after kids if they need anything while we're gone. Let's go."

Opie walked out of the door and headed out to his bike parked in the driveway.

Jasmine went outside and said, "Henry, I'm going out for a bit. Listen out for the kids."

Henry asked, "Where are you going?"

"For a ride with Opie. It shouldn't take long. I love you," she kissed his cheek with a small smile. Jasmine walked out to the driveway and climbed onto Opie's bike. "I'm ready to go, Ope."

He handed her his helmet and said, "Hold on tight."

Jasmine put on the helmet and wrapped her arms around Opie's body, "I always do."

Opie put on his riding glasses, started the bike, and drove away from his house. Most days he roamed around Charming living his life as a set of routines. He was struggling in every facet and now he realized just how much his children were struggling too. He had abandoned them without ever leaving the house. It was no wonder they wanted to abandon him too.

He knew that as the adult in the situation it was wrong for him to feel this way, but at the moment it felt like a betrayal. He'd always promised that he wouldn't screw up his children with his bullshit the way that Mary and Piney had screwed him up. They let their own problems become more important than Opie's well-being. His conversation with Ellie tonight was like a bucket of cold water. He was just as bad if not worse than his parents. The one saving grace was that he had other people in his life to pick up the slack.

Jasmine clung tighter to Opie as the bike sped up considerably. She was sure they were hovering around 90 mph. Jasmine was perfectly willing to be there for Opie in his time of need. However, she wasn't willing to make her children or his orphans. Jasmine squeezed Opie tighter signaling her discomfort. The engine noise from the bike and the wind whipping past them made calling out to him impossible.

Opie snapped out of what could only be called a trance when Jasmine squeezed him. The sudden movement caused the bike to veer into oncoming traffic. Opie quickly steered the bike back to the right side of the road. He pulled back on the throttle and they gradually began to slow down.

Jasmine relaxed as they slowed to a sensible speed. Her eyes scanned the road ahead of them and tried to figure out their destination. She hadn't bothered asking Opie where they were headed. She trusted him.

After awhile Opie pulled up at the cabin and killed the engine.

Jasmine took off the helmet and climbed off the bike. She glanced around the secluded area and smiled a little. She could remember coming here more than a few times to skip school.

Opie walked with her up to the door and said, "I didn't have anywhere else to go. If I go to the club I'd just end up working on something. There's always a problem for me to solve."

She shook her head and flipped on the lights in the living room. "You don't have to explain anything to me, Opie."

He closed the door and locked it. "I could use a drink…a tall one."

"Is there anything here?" asked Jasmine. She glanced around the rustic cabinet and thought it really did look comfortable. The place hadn't changed much in the years she'd been away.

"Pops comes up here more than he should these days. He always keeps the place stocked with liquor, cigars, and junk food. I'm surprised he hasn't died yet with his diet," Opie joked, he walked into the kitchen to grab a bottle of tequila and a bag of cheese puffs.

Jasmine stood in the living room looking at the pictures on the wall. The pictures that lined the walls were like a visual history of the club. She smiled seeing more than a few pictures of Opie on the walls. She was sure that those were additions that Piney made to the home. The old man wasn't big on emotion but he loved his son.

She looked up with a smile when Opie walked into the room with tequila and cheese puffs. "Yum."

Opie laughed and said, "This is the midnight snack of champions. There might be a can of moldy peaches in there if you wanted something healthier."

"You mean the midnight snack of pot smokers. I think the cheese puffs are probably healthier than mold covered peaches," she had a seat on the worn couch. She chuckled feeling her body sink into the cushions. "Piney has definitely broken this in."

He sat next to her on the couch and opened the bottle of tequila. Opie took a huge gulp and then passed her the bottle. He chuckled seeing that her shoes were now off. "You'll probably get tetanus with the cleaning job Pops does around here."

Jasmine took the bottle and took a swig. She was well aware of the adage that no one liked drinking alone. "I've had all my shots. Lucky me. Are you going to tell me what happened with your daughter?"

Opie went into the bedroom and came back with a cigar box. He started rolling a joint and said, "Nothing happened to her tonight out there. She had a scare when that punk tried to force her into his backseat, but Henry shut that down. I'm going to get the kids' full name and send the prospects to see him. He's in college so he's old enough to take the ass kicking he is going to get."

She took another swig of tequila and said, "Well, that is a good thing. I am glad that it didn't get any further than that. I'm finding it harder to be angry at our kid. I'm glad he was there tonight."

"You raised him right, Jas. He had no clue that Ellie was his sister but he went to bat for her. He wanted to make sure she got home safely so he went to find her before we left. You did a good job on your own," said Opie.

"Thanks. It can be a struggle at times. Raising a little boy is easy. You just give him all the love you have and all the discipline he needs. Raising a man is a very different prospect. I am glad that he has you in his life now. I can use all the help that I can get."

Opie finished rolling a joint. He sat back on the couch and lit it. "I don't know how good of a father I can be but I'll be there. He's a good kid, I saw that tonight."

"I had a lot of help and a lot of luck. Things could have turned out very different. What else did you and Ellie talk about?"

He shook his head and took a long drag from the joint. Opie held it in enjoying the burning feeling in his lungs at the moment. Not to mention it kept him from having to talk to Jasmine. She always knew how to press where it hurt the most.

Jasmine scooted closer to him and took the joint from his fingers. "Come on, Opie. Something happened during your talk with Ellie tonight. You aren't this upset because nothing happened. You can tell me or we can just sit here and get drunk or high, whichever happens first. It is up to you."

He watched her take a hit from the joint and groaned, "I've really fucked up, Jasmine. Ellie is pissed that I haven't been there for her and Kenny. I've put my responsibilities onto other people…including her. I swore I wanted to make it right and I do."

"I know that had to be hard to hear but sometimes hearing the truth is just what you need to get back on track. You have a big heart and you have all the love in the world to share. I know that you love your kids…now you'll get the opportunity to show them that," said Jasmine.

Opie took the joint back from Jasmine and took a couple of hits. He slowly blew out the smoke and shook his head. "They don't want me to show them anything. Ellie told me that she and Kenny would like to move in with Jax's old lady, Tara."

Jasmine fell silent. She was unsure of what to say to that. She knew as a parent that had to be heartbreaking to hear. When you love your kids the idea that they want to be somewhere else with someone else tore you up inside.

"And the more I think about it…I can't really blame them. Since Lyla and I broke up they've spent the majority of their time with Tara and Gemma. They spend weekends with my mother. Pops stays with them in the evening sometimes. Everyone has a hand in taking care of my kids except for me. I got no idea how to make that right. I don't even know if I deserve the chance."

Opie took another hit from the joint and glanced at the expression on her face and laughed sadly, "Don't think I'm such a good man now, do you?"

Jasmine shook her head and said, "You are human, Ope. To err is human. It is like we are expected to be fuck ups. Some of us just fuck up more than others. That is never more true than when talking about being a parent. There is no handbook for this shit. They hand you a kid and send you on your way. You've got to figure the hard shit out on your own."

"That is the point. I never tried to figure it out on my own. I let Donna take care of the kids before I went to prison and it was definitely that way when I came back. I was strangers to them. I still am. I kept passing the buck…letting other people take care of my kids. I guess I thought they wouldn't notice or wouldn't care. Well, they did notice and they definitely care. I don't have a leg to stand on with them. Right after Donna died I thought about giving them to Mary…permanently. What kind of father does that? You wouldn't do that…" Opie lamented, he rested his head against the back of the couch hoping the marijuana and alcohol would numb some of his pain and guilt.

She took a large gulp from the bottle of tequila as if to build her courage. "I thought about giving Henry up for adoption…"

Opie opened one eye and looked over at Jasmine. He figured she was lying to make him feel better but the glassy look of her eyes told him she was speaking the truth. He sat up and turned so that he was looking her in the eye, "I thought…"

"Don't get me wrong, Opie, I love our son more than my life. That boy is the very best thing that ever happened to me, but the closer I got to giving birth the more terrified I became. I wanted to be able to give my baby boy all the love that I had but there was this fear that every time I looked at his little face I'd think about Jacob. I was so scared that I would hate my baby because he was…I was scared that I'd hate the part of him that wasn't me. After I had him I was still scared to look at him so I didn't. The nurse gave Henry to my mom. My dad sat down next to my bed and told me that no one would judge me if I gave my baby boy up for adoption, but if I decided to keep him I had to love him. I had to put my shit on the back burner and make sure this little boy knew that he was wanted. If I couldn't do that then I needed to let him go. At the time I thought it was cruel but it was the truth. You can't be half committed to your children. You have got go all in, Ope."

He reached out and lightly brushed away the stray tears sliding down Jasmine's cheek. "You okay?"

Jasmine quickly nodded. "I'm fine. This isn't about me…I'm trying to make a point here."

"Do you think you made the right decision? Keeping Henry?"

She sniffled and smiled. "There isn't a day when I don't know for a fact that I made the right decision. I loved my son and I went through a lot of fucking therapy but I made it through. You can too if that is what you want to do. But this is one of the moments when you've got to make a choice. Either you want to be their father and you have to be committed to that…or maybe them staying with Mary or Tara would be better for them. Only you can make that decision but you've got to do it for them and you've got to do it soon."

"I don't want to send my kids anywhere but I don't know how to make up for what I've done. What if I've already broken them?" asked Opie.

She shook her head and snuggled in against his side on the couch. "That is the thing about kids they are tougher than we are. They are more resilient in every way possible. It won't be easy but if you put in the work you can make this better for them. They follow your lead. If you let them know that things are going to change and you start making those changes…"

"I don't even know where to begin but I've got to start somewhere. I'm not about to lose my kids. I'll show them that I can do better. Letting them move with Tara just reinforces the idea that you can run away from your problems. I don't want that for them," said Opie.

He lightly ran his fingers through Jasmine's hair and placed a kiss against her temple.

Jasmine took another swig of tequila and closed her eyes in thought. "You aren't going to be in any condition to drive us back into town tonight."

Opie shook his head and said, "I could but I think you'd be afraid of the ride home. I'm sorry, Jasmine. I'm pushing my bad parenting onto you, too."

"It is fine, Opie. Lily and Danny were already asleep when I left the house. I'll just call Henry and tell him not to wait up for us. We'll be back in the morning. I'll tell him that you are having trouble with your bike and we can't make it back."

He chuckled and said, "That would be a lie."

She smiled softly, "Well, you could always climb on the back and I can drive us home. However, I don't think the big bad biker is going to be willing to sit in the bitch seat of his own bike."

Opie laughed heartedly, "You are damn right about that. Tell Henry he can sleep in my bed. I don't want the poor kid to have to camp out on the couch because I tricked his mother into being irresponsible."

Jasmine kissed his cheek. "Don't worry about it, Ope."

Opie watched Jasmine grab the cell from her purse and go outside to make the call. He picked up the tequila and stuck the joint in his mouth as he walked into the first bedroom down the hall.

Opie sat on the side of the bed and kicked off his boots. He was exhausted from the emotions of the day. There was a lot for him to think about but at the moment he was feeling a little hazy. He took healthy gulp of tequila and closed his eyes.

Jasmine walked back into the cabin and locked the door. She frowned not seeing Opie and walked down the hall and spotted him lying in bed. "Everything is fine at your house. Ellie went to bed about 30 minutes ago and Henry was already asleep on the couch. He's going to go get in your bed for the night."

Opie reached out pulling Jasmine into the bed with him and kissed her cheek. "Good. There are a couple more bedrooms. You don't have to sleep here with me. I didn't bring you out here for that."

She didn't try to move away. Instead Jasmine snuggled into his side and rested her hand over his heart. "I'm fine right where I am, Opie."

He slipped his hand up the back of her shirt and lightly caressed her bare skin. Opie unhooked her bra so that it wouldn't be in the way of his roaming fingers. "I still love you…"

"I know. I love you too, Ope. Never stopped," said Jasmine.

Opie gently ran his fingers through her hair and whispered, "You are so beautiful, Jasmine…"


	7. Rise and Shine

Opie tiredly ran a hand over his bearded face and groaned in exhaustion. His life was tearing him down physically and emotionally. He didn't know how much sleep he'd managed to sneak in but it wasn't nearly enough if the dull ache in his head was any indication. Although he was sure part of that headache could be attributed to the tequila he drank straight from the bottle. He knew he'd pay for that beverage choice in spades.

In the months since the guys began serving their prison sentence Opie's reoccurring gastric ulcer made a reappearance. He didn't make matters any better by drinking heavily, smoking, being stressed, and overusing pain relievers. Some days it felt like his body was falling apart.

He rolled onto his side and reached to pull Jasmine's warm body against his only to find she wasn't there. Opie's eyes opened for the first time since he'd stirred a few minutes ago. He groggily surveyed his surroundings and found Jasmine curled up in a rickety armchair in front of the window. It occurred to him that the sunlight filtering in through the blinds back lit her perfectly.

Opie found himself drinking in her appearance, Jasmine really was a vision of beauty. Her dark brown tresses were mussed from sleeping, but framed her face perfectly. Jasmine's skin was free of any blemishes or make-up, but held a subtle glow. She was wearing Opie's SAMCRO t-shirt that looked like it might swallow her whole. The whole scene reminded him of better days, when she belonged to him and they didn't have a care in the world.

Opie propped his head up on one arm and said, "Good morning."

She was brought out of her quiet reverie hearing the low rumble of his voice. With a tired smile she stretched and walked over to the bed and climbed under the covers with Opie. "More like good afternoon."

Opie rolled onto his back and closed his eyes in utter exhaustion. He opened one eye feeling Jasmine's soft hair fanning across his bare chest.

"Why aren't you as tired as I am?" asked Opie. He slipped his hand under the shirt and traced a light trail down her spine with his fingertips.

Jasmine looked up into his eyes and laughed softly. "Probably because I am in better shape than you are, big boy."

Opie's eyebrow rose questioningly, "Big boy? Is that a dig at my weight or a compliment on my estimable endowment? There is a wrong answer to this question, you know."

Jasmine started laughing harder. She playfully bit his peck and said, "A little of both I'm afraid. You are a little thick around the middle, but I like that beer gut, baby. More to love."

Opie tickled her side and asked, "Oh, so you think you are funny now? I'm just a little out of practice. It's been awhile since I've stayed up all night having sex. What time is it, anyway?"

Jasmine rolled to her side and grabbed the cell phone on the nightstand. She squinted at the screen and chuckled, "It is 1:45. Did we sleep at all last night?"

Opie laughed and his eyes snapped shut. "I don't think so. I am fairly certain the sun was coming up when we finally decided to call it a night. Although, I might have dozed off a few times while you were on top but for the most part I was wide awake."

"Bullshit," Jasmine snorted, she looked more than a little miffed by the implication.

He laughed harder seeing the scowl on her face. Opie lightly cupped her chin and leaned in to kiss her. "I'm only teasing, Jas. You were a sight to behold. I promise. You've picked up a nice bag of tricks over the years."

"Should hope so. We were both teenagers the last time we fooled around. If I hadn't picked up anything new by now I've been doing something very wrong with my life. You've gotten a lot better at certain things too," Jasmine added, she gave a coy smile as she thought back to the previous night.

Opie studied her face and it was like he could read her mind. He playfully slapped her backside. "You are a very bad girl for thinking what you're thinking right now."

Jasmine gave him an innocent smile. "I'm sure I don't know what you mean, Ope."

"I'd show you exactly what I meant if we didn't need to get back to Charming. I can't believe that it is almost 2:00 in the afternoon. I don't think anyone is going to buy our story about my bike breaking down. I'm a mechanic. I should have been able to get it running by now," Opie said, he wasn't looking forward to going back to reality.

Being there with Jasmine was like escaping to his own Shangri-La. All of the problems and complications back in Charming seemed a thousand miles away. If only for this fleeting moment, Opie was care free. Selfishly he wanted to keep Jasmine there with him for as long as possible.

Jasmine shook her head and softly kissed his cheek. She said, "There is nothing for you to be concerned about. I talked to Henry earlier and told him that your carburetor died on you. We had to wait until this morning to call the garage for a tow and they'd come to get us once the business day was over so that they didn't have to miss out on paying customers."

Opie smirked and he shook his head. He teased, "I forgot how easily lying came to you. I guess I need to call the garage for a tow. Truth be told…I am still a little fucked up from last night. I don't know how safe it'd be for me to drive us back home anyway."

"I took care of that after I talked to Henry. I figured push come to shove I could just pay the $175 for the tow. I wasn't really looking forward to riding the motorcycle back to town. Besides I figured it'd give us the rest of the day to chill out."

"You just wanted to smoke another joint or two before we headed back to Charming," Opie said, in an accusatory tone.

She laughed at him and poked his side gently. "So what if I do? Sometimes I like to cut loose too but you can't do that when you've got three kids. Especially, when you have one that is old enough to throw your transgressions in your face. You should have seen me having the abstinence talk with Henry. He can do math and figure out how old I was when I had him."

Opie nodded and said, "Yeah, I am dreading the day that shit comes up with Kenny and Ellie. I guess last night was sort of the first wave of it. Well, Kenny definitely has my temper. I envision myself bailing him out in the near future."

"Trust me when I tell you that was just the first wave of shit you'll get. Teenagers are like God's punishment for everything you did to your own parents. Henry is a good kid but he still gives me a run for my money. And he's so much like you sometimes that I want to strangle him," said Jasmine.

"Nice to know that you want to strangle me."

She laughed and said, "I don't walk around thinking about killing you on a regular basis, but you used to drive me crazy when you'd go quiet on me. I knew when you were hurting or angry but you wouldn't say anything. You'd just stew over the shit until you blew up on some poor asshole. I mean, sure Henry went after that guy last night in order to defend Ellie, but he was looking for a fight. He was pissed that his best friend moved in on his girlfriend. He was pissed that I moved him to Charming and he was looking for some poor sap to pound and he found a deserving one."

Opie didn't say anything immediately because although he didn't know his son at all, Jasmine had just described his own behavior to a tee. Whenever Opie was at his wits' end he looked for a good fight. He didn't really care who it was with as long as the other person was a man and could put up somewhat of a fight. He grew up in a house where talking about your feelings was out of the question. Unfortunately, there was almost always something in that house that would set him off. Living with Piney and Mary was no easy feat and he'd taken it out on a plethora of classmates and random guys in Charming. "Hey, I wasn't around to teach him to fight. That is all on you."

Jasmine smirked and said, "I might have had something to do with his fighting skills. I couldn't let my kid get his ass kicked on the playground. I still remember the first time he came home all skinned up from losing a fight. He was in first grade and he was getting picked on by this third grader. The little bastard picked on him on the playground and on the way home from school. We lived a couple houses down from one another."

"What'd you do?" asked Opie.

"I spent the whole weekend in the backyard and I taught him how to fight. I was determined that my kid wasn't going to come home skinned up and teary-eyed anymore. I was such a mom. He was my baby and I wanted to beat that kid up."

"I can picture you out there with him being a little Mr. Miyagi. How did it turn out?" asked Opie.

She smiled wistfully, "I was nervous as all hell standing on the front porch waiting for Henry to come home. The school bus pulled to the end of the block and let them off. As soon as the bus was out of sight that little kid was kicking the back of Henry's leg and pulling on his book bag to make him fall. Finally it worked. Henry didn't cry or anything. He got up, put his book bag down, and punched the little bastard in the nose. Kid's nose started bleeding and he started crying. Henry picked up his book bag and walked home like nothing happened."

Opie chuckled heartily, "I would have laughed my ass off."

"I did. The kid's mother came over later and tried to get in my face about it. I politely told her to go home before I kicked her ass the way my kid kicked her son's ass," said Jasmine.

He shook his head and said, "I could see you doing that…"

"Well, her kid was a bully and she knew it. Henry wasn't the only one on that block that got bullied by her little monster. I tried talking to her about it but she told me that boys would be boys. So fuck her. I decided to teach my kid how to fight. I think her son learned an important lesson. Don't pick on people that are big enough to beat your ass."

He laughed harder, "You are such a man. You fight, drink, curse, and smoke cigarettes. I think you're more man than woman, Jas."

She smiled up at him. "What do you expect? My father wanted a boy and he got two girls. One of us was going to have to be the boy he always wanted. I had a wicked curveball and I liked playing football. I was the obvious choice. You never minded that I was a tomboy…"

Opie smirked and shook his head, "You're right I didn't mind that you were a tomboy. I knew you had a hell of a body under those baggy shirts and running shorts. A body that I worked very hard on getting you to show me as often as I could. Not to mention you still liked to wrestle and that gave me the opportunity to feel you up."

"You weren't working nearly as hard as you thought you were. I just played along. We were always playing my game you just didn't know it," said Jasmine.

"Really? Because I remember having to break out my best game to get you to say yes our first time together," said Opie, he gave a proud smirk.

She shook her head and said, "I was a good little Catholic girl. I had to make you put in the work or you wouldn't have thought it was worth it. I knew I wasn't the only one you were trying to get a crack at. And when you got what you were looking for from those other girls you ditched them just as quickly as they gave it up to you. I just decided to play the long game. I liked you. I wanted to make sure that you liked me too."

He blinked slightly and then laughed, "Jasmine, you're the one I wanted. I didn't just like you…I fell for you, and hard. I mean yeah…I had fun with some other girls because I was a teenager. A starving man doesn't pass up a meal, but it was always you."

"What about Amanda Ferris?" asked Jasmine, she eyed him skeptically. She tried not to seem obstinate but it was obvious that this was something that was stuck in her craw.

Opie groaned and closed his eyes a moment trying to recall the girl she was talking about. He laughed and said, "Jax slept with her too! I definitely didn't want her to be my girlfriend. Jax and I shared a lot as kids but I didn't want a girlfriend he'd screwed. She was fun but, that was all Amanda ever was to me."

Jasmine gave a loud belly laugh and just snuggled closer into Opie's side. "What do you mean it was always me?"

"I knew I wanted to go out with you when you went to the 8th grade Homecoming dance with Hale. I was going to ask you but the little weasel asked you first and you said yes," said Opie.

She chuckled, "Davy was so sweet, even back then. I couldn't have said no to him. I remember him being so nervous when he asked me to the dance that he stuttered. After that he just kept asking me out and I kept saying yes. I think I saw every movie PG-13 and under that year because there was nothing else to do in Charming."

"I know. I gave him a hard time that whole year. I was so glad when the two of you broke up freshman year. I put the word out that no one had better ask you out. You were mine. And you were until you left Charming."

Opie kissed the top of her head and then closed his eyes tiredly.

"Stop it…"

Opie opened his eyes and asked, "Stop what?"

"Stop wishing things turned out differently. Just don't…"

"Oh, now you are a mind reader?" Opie asked.

"When it comes to you? Yeah, I am. Things happened the way they were supposed to happen. I believe that. Everything in this world happens for a reason."

He took her hand and interlaced their fingers. "That include what we did last night? And this morning?"

She smiled softly, "That was inevitable. If it didn't happen last night…it would have happened some other night. I'd like to say it was because of the tequila but that would be a very big lie."

"You wanted my sweet sweet body?" asked Opie jokingly, he laughed but it wasn't sincere. He was concerned how Jasmine truly felt about what happened. The previous day she'd listed all the reasons why it couldn't and shouldn't happen.

Despite the jovial mood Jasmine looked at him seriously. "I don't regret it for a second."

He took a moment to study her face. After a few moments he smiled, satisfied with the truthfulness of her statement. "How could you resist me?"

Jasmine laughed and said, "Shut up and go roll a joint. We won't have long before the garage closes for the day. Soon enough we'll have to leave our little cabin in the woods and go back to reality."

"A joint, sex, and then a nap? Because that would make me a very happy man," said Opie, he pulled on his boxers.

She shook her head and stripped of his shirt as she pulled the sheet up over her breasts, "I can't think of a better way to spend the afternoon."

* * *

Opie and Jasmine walked into the club around 7:00 that night. They both felt more than a little guilty about shirking their responsibilities for an entire day. However, it had been a much needed respite for the two of them. They both had clearer heads and were a lot less stressed out.

They'd stopped at Jasmine's hotel room and went back to Opie's house to get showered and change clothes before they met up with Piney and the kids. They were fairly certain their clothes from the previous night smelled of marijuana and liquor.

Jasmine's attention was drawn to the pool table hearing a familiar giggle. She saw Lily, Kenny, and Henry playing a game of pool. It was obvious from the smirk on Henry's face and the mild shake of his head that he was letting the younger kids win the game.

A few feet away Ellie sat on the couch with Danny's carrier beside her. She was making a stuffed rabbit dance for the baby, who seemed amused by the performance.

Piney walked over and clapped Opie on the back. "Glad to see the two of you made it home safely. I figured I'd wait until tomorrow to order that carburetor for your bike."

The old man had something of a glint in his eye. He knew that there was nothing wrong with Opie's bike. He hadn't believed a word of the lie Jasmine told Henry earlier in the day.

Opie smirked and said, "Thanks for looking after the kids, Pops."

He shook his head, "Wasn't a problem. They looked after me more than I looked after them. Sweetheart, I hope you don't mind that I brought your kids here to the club. Didn't think it'd be right to leave them alone at Ope's house while I was here. Henry convinced me to take them over to your hotel rooms so that he could get a change of clothes for him and the little ones."

Jasmine smiled and said, "I don't mind at all. If they're safe anywhere in Charming I know it'd be behind these walls. Thanks, Piney."

Mary walked out from the back and frowned deeply. "Opie!"

Opie whirled around and had to hold back a groan when he saw his mother lumbering in his direction. He shot Piney a disapproving glare. "Mom, what are you doing here?"

"Trying to figure out why I had to hear from Kenny that I had another grandson. Feels like it is something I should have heard from you."

Jasmine said, "In his defense, I only told Opie about Henry yesterday. It isn't as if he's been keeping a secret for the last 16 years."

Mary eyed Jasmine but shifted her glare back to Opie. She said, "You found cause to tell Piney about our grandson yesterday, but not me. Don't you think that is something I should know. I mean…look at him."

She turned to watch Henry playing pool. He was the spitting image of her son if she'd ever seen one. Seeing the boy made her think about years long gone by. Her scowl was briefly replaced with a small smile.

Opie threw his hands up in surrender and sighed heavily. "I was going to tell you. I just didn't get around to it yesterday. I'm sorry. I was wrong. Better?"

Mary rolled her eyes and said, "You give half-assed apologies just like your father. And you…what's your excuse for waiting 16 blessed years to say anything."

Opie said, "Leave Jasmine alone. She doesn't have to explain anything to you."

"She doesn't have to explain why I've missed 16 years with my oldest grandchild?" Mary asked incredulously.

Opie looked at Piney in exasperation looking for some sort of help with the irate sexagenarian. His relationship with Mary was tenuous at best. They argued more than that got along. Mary might have given birth to Opie but she'd never been the type of mother he needed and it showed.

Piney just gave him a look and said, "She's your mother, boy. I'm divorced from her for a reason. I don't have to take her shit anymore. Thank God."

Mary glared at Piney and replied, "Yeah, we're divorced because I didn't want you anymore, bastard. If anyone had to put up with shit during our marriage it was me. You weren't two dead flies Piermont Winston."

Piney chuckled and shuffled over to the bar to have a seat. They might have been quickly approaching the ripe old age of 70 but no one could get into an argument quicker than Piney and Mary.

She shifted her pointed stare back at Jasmine. "Well?"

Jasmine said, "When I was a teenager I made a lot of mistakes, as teenagers do. I wasn't faithful to Opie at the time and when I got pregnant I just thought…I didn't think Opie was the father. I never told him about Henry. I didn't want to break his heart that way."

Opie's jaw tightened hearing the lies Jasmine had to tell. He didn't like it one bit and more than anything he wanted to interject and say something. However, he was trying his best to respect her wishes.

Mary scowled and then huffed, "I always told you that I didn't like her and now you know that I was right. At least I got a grandchild out of the deal."

Opie voice was low when he said, "You have no idea what you are talking about so don't. Jasmine didn't cheat on me. I wasn't ready to be a father or a husband. Jasmine let me off the hook for being Henry's father. She's just lying to you to take the heat for me. She doesn't want Henry to think I didn't want him. Now I don't want to talk about this anymore and I don't want to hear anymore about it."

Jasmine frowned at Opie. She hated that he was lying for her benefit and painting himself to be the kind of guy he definitely wasn't. She didn't care that Mary thought she was a whore. It didn't bother her. She reached out and took Opie's hand. Fighting with Mary never left him in a great place.

Mary's face went pale for a minute but she nodded in understanding. "You won't hear a peep out of me about it, Ope. I just…I wish you would have told us about it. We would have been there for the both of you."

"How? You two couldn't manage to be there for me let alone me and a pregnant Jasmine," said Opie.

Piney said, "There's no cause to be so hostile with your mother. She's got a big mouth but her heart was in the right place."

Mary glanced back at Piney appreciatively. She cleared her throat and said, "Piney and I were talking and we wanted to take all of you out for dinner tonight."

Opie said, "No."

Mary said, "Opie, I'm sorry for what I said don't act this way. We'd like to spend more time with our grandson and the kids haven't had dinner yet. This way no one has to cook."

He groaned slightly and looked at Jasmine. "If you don't want to go I'll say no. I don't care."

Jasmine offered a small smile and squeezed his hand. "It's fine. I was going to have to take Henry and Lily out for dinner anyway. We're staying in a hotel."

Mary smiled and said, "Well, then it is settled. We'll go to Clancy's Steakhouse. Piney's paying for dinner."

"Oh, that isn't necessary. I can pay for myself and my kids. Henry can put a dent in your wallet at a steakhouse," said Jasmine.

Mary laughed and said, "If he's anything like Ope was at that age I'm sure he can eat hell off the cross. Don't give the cost another thought. Piney already agreed to pay for dinner."

Opie's shoulders slumped in resignation. "If we agree to go to this dinner you and Pop are going to have to lay off all of the arguing. I don't want the kids around all of that. Got it?"

Piney walked over and put an arm around Mary's shoulder. He smiled and said, "I promise we'll be on our best behavior."

Opie nodded slightly. "Alright, then we'll do it. We are going to go over and see the kids first."

Jasmine followed Opie across the room and smiled at the kids. "Well, it looks like you guys are having fun. Who's winning?"

Henry said, "Lily and Kenny are on the same team and they are beating me right now. Glad to see you both got back okay. I was starting to get worried about you guys."

Opie couldn't help but smile when Henry said he'd been worried about the both of them. "That's my fault. I was being stubborn thinking I could fix the carburetor enough to get back to Charming. I'm glad your mother had the good sense to call for a tow."

Henry said, "I'm pretty good with cars. Maybe I could help you replace the carburetor."

Opie knew at that moment that he'd be taking the carburetor off of his bike and replacing it with a new one. There was no way he was passing up the opportunity to spend time with his son. "I'd like that."

"Cool."

Opie said, "I'm sure that everyone is pretty hungry so we are going to get ready to go out for dinner."

Kenny asked, "We going to McDonald's?"

The bearded man chuckled and ruffled Kenny's hair. "No, your grandpa is treating is all to a steak dinner tonight."

Kenny's grinned, "Hell yeah!"

Opie said, "Hey! Watch your mouth…"

Kenny laughed and said, "Sorry, Dad. I was excited."

Opie shook his head and said, "Yeah…me too."

Jasmine walked over to Henry and asked, "Everything go okay today?"

Henry nodded and shrugged his shoulders, "Yeah, everything was fine, Mom. I know how to look after Lily and Danny for a day. Besides, Kenny, Ellie, and Lily helped me keep Danny happy most of the day."

Jasmine smiled and said, "Looks like I owe all of you a big thanks for helping Henry out with Danny. Maybe I could treat everyone to ice cream after dinner if you have room for it."

Kenny laughed, "I'll make room somehow."

Opie shook his head and put both of his hands on Kenny's shoulders and asked, "What can I say? He's definitely my boy."

Mary walked over and said, "We'd better get going before piney starts to drinking all over again. You know he'll have a couple of drinks at Clancy's."

Opie nodded and said, "Good point. We don't want to the old man to be drunk before dinner comes out of the kitchen. We should get out of here."

Jasmine asked, "How are we going to do this? All we have is my car."

Henry quipped, "We wouldn't have this problem if you'd let me bring my car over when we moved."

Jasmine shot him a glare and said, "We'll get your car from Nevada when you have a state of California driver's license and not a moment before."

Piney said, "My car is out there. I can drive a couple of the kids over to the restaurant."

Jasmine glanced at Opie wondering if Piney was okay to drive or not.

Opie shook his head and said, "You've been drinking."

Mary said, "Well, then I will drive Piney's car. He can sit on the passenger side like a good boy."

Piney opened his mouth to say something offensive but he looked at the little faces staring at him and realized it wasn't the time or place. He nodded resolutely, "I'll let your mother drive. You happy, boy?"

Opie smirked, "Yeah…"

Jasmine saw the look on his face and glared at him. She had a pretty good idea what that little smirk was about and she didn't like it. "Well, looks like we have the car situation taken care of. We should get going, huh?"

Kenny said, "I'm riding with Grandpa Piney and Granny. Come on, Henry!"

The younger boy made a mad dash for the door as if someone else might take his place in Piney's beat up old car.

Henry laughed and said, "I guess my presence has been requested. Mom is it okay if I ride with them?"

Jasmine smiled and kissed his cheek. "Go on…I'll see you at the restaurant."

Ellie stood up from the couch and lifted up Danny's carrier and diaper bag. She brought him over to Jasmine and said, "I guess I'll ride with you guys if you have room. Grandpa's car smells like dead dog."

Jasmine took Danny's carrier and smiled at Ellie, "Thank you for helping keep Danny entertained."

Opie put his hand on Ellie's shoulder and said, "We should get going. Mary has a lead foot when it comes to driving."


	8. Family

Opie and Jasmine sat next to each other at the makeshift table the waiters put together when they arrived at Clancy's Steakhouse. It had taken awhile to get everyone settled at the table and to get their food ordered. However, at the moment they were thoroughly enjoying their meal and goofing off in the way you would expect a family to do. Opie didn't mind the occasional glares he received from nearby patrons because of the noise.

Piney was true to his word and told everyone to order whatever they'd like. Opie decided earlier that he'd help his father cover the bill at the end of dinner. They both had money to spare since business was going so well for the club and the garage.

Henry was of course being peppered with questions by his grandparents and half-siblings. They wanted to know all about him and his life before moving to Charming.

Opie made sure to engage Jasmine's daughter, Lily, in conversation so that she didn't feel left out. He had just finished an enthralling conversation about Selena Gomez and the Wizards of Waverly Place. He was only too happy when Lily started talking to Ellie about the color of her fingernail polish.

Opie smiled feeling relaxed. He didn't know what he'd expected but it wasn't this. Opie was sure that there would be some fallout later but for now everyone was getting along well. However, Ellie and Kenny's issues were still in the back of his mind. He was worried about them and only hoped that maybe a renewed sense of family would help make them happier. He didn't want to lose his kids or have them hate him for making them stay.

Kenny was certainly taken with Henry. He could see how the younger boy already looked up to his older brother. Kenny brought up Henry's participation in sports every time there was a lull in the conversation.

To Henry's credit he was taking all of the questions in stride and made sure to respond to Kenny's repetitive questions. It was obvious he was well-versed in being a good older brother.

Opie leaned over toward Jasmine and quietly said, "This is going better than I thought it would. Are you enjoying yourself?"

Jasmine nodded in agreement, "You're right. I was worried that this was going to be a disaster. I know how your mother can be. I'm just glad that the kids are having such a good time. Danny is sleeping through the whole thing and I'm enjoying myself."

Opie chuckled and said, "Don't let her hear you say that. She'll get all blustery and offended."

He moved to touch Jasmine but pulled his hand back before he did. Just that quickly he'd forgotten about the agreement to remain platonic around their children. It was hard to remember not to touch a woman he cared for so deeply.

Mary glanced over in their direction and gave a knowing look. She might not have been the best mother to Opie but she knew her son well enough.

Opie instead reached under the table and lightly squeezed Jasmine's hand.

She smiled looking at him and squeezed his hand in return. It was a small gesture but it spoke volumes.

Mary cleared her throat and asked, "Jasmine, what is it that you do for a living?"

Jasmine swallowed the bite of food she'd just put into her mouth and followed it with a quick gulp of wine. "Well, I'm a chef."

Mary asked, "A chef?"

Jasmine nodded and said, "I went to culinary school in Las Vegas. I spent a year attending culinary school in Italy and I was an apprentice for three years under a chef at a casino. He specialized in Thai cuisine."

Piney chuckled, "Hell, we should have just gone back to Ope's house and let you make dinner. I bet it would have been a damn sight cheaper and probably taste better too."

Jasmine laughed and said, "Making dinner for this large a group would have to be something I was prepared for. Besides I'd need my knives and I'm particular about the pots and pants that I use. I can promise that once I get settled into my new house I'll have everyone over for a big dinner."

She was glad that she hadn't been put on the spot earlier about cooking. She was sporting a pretty intense hang over. However, Jasmine was covering beautifully for the moment.

Mary pressed on, "What are you planning to do here in Charming? Work at the diner? Here at the steakhouse? Hardly seems like a good career choice for you."

Opie sighed and glared at Mary, "Don't you start. We were having a nice dinner. You said that you wouldn't start anything. Don't make me regret agreeing to this dinner."

Ellie shook her head a little. She was used to her father and grandparents bickering, but it was more than a little embarrassing when it happened in public.

She looked at Henry and asked, "Sure you want to be part of this?"

Henry chuckled, "My other grandparents argue with my mom all the time. I'm used to it."

Jasmine frowned at her son, "We do not argue all the time."

Henry laughed harder, "Yeah, you do and if you aren't arguing you and Grandma Claudia are giving each other the evil eye."

"I just want to know that she isn't going to pick up and move away with my grandson in a couple of months when she realizes she can't find a good job around here. It wouldn't be fair to us to lose him again. It wouldn't be fair to you either, Ope," Mary argued.

Piney sighed and gulped down the last of his beer. "Mary Elizabeth Winston, would you just let them alone. They'll figure all of this out without you sticking your nose where it don't belong. You'd do well to figure out when to keep your trap shut about things."

Jasmine said, "Mary, I can understand why you'd be concerned, but I'm a responsible parent. I wouldn't have moved my children across state lines without already having a job lined up or at least the prospect of one. I've been hired on as the chef for the country club in Crescent Valley."

Mary turned up her nose, "That little stuck up city with the fancy gated community."

Opie rolled his eyes at Mary. He was getting tired and was only keeping his cool because the children were sitting at the table.

Jasmine smirked, "What do you know? Apparently, stuck up rich people really like their fancy food and wine. I'll start working there in two weeks as the executive chef."

Piney said, "Well, I think it's great. If rich people want to give you their money I say take it."

Opie chuckled and said, "Pops…"

Jasmine opened her mouth to say something but froze seeing Jacob Hale sitting at a table on the other side of the restaurant. Despite the distance between the two tables she could see that his attention was solely focused on her. She smiled slightly, "Excuse me. I'm going to go to the restroom."

Opie stood up as Jasmine got ready to leave the table. He saw that she looked a bit rattled, "You okay?"

She nodded and touched his arm in reassurance, "I'm fine. I'll be right back. Go ahead, enjoy dinner, and try not to fight with your mother."

Jasmine walked away from the table and headed straight to the rest room. She rested her hands on either side of the sink and tried to breathe deeply. She hated having Jacob stare at her from across the room. After all of this time he could still make her feel dirty. It was like his cold dead eyes were undressing her right there in the restaurant.

"Come on! You need to pull it together. When you decided to move back home you knew that seeing him was a possibility," Jasmine reasoned aloud.

She looked behind her hearing a toilet flush and a stall door opened.

An older woman looked at Jasmine skeptically before hurrying to the door.

Jasmine rolled her eyes, "Don't judge me! You're the one leaving the restroom without washing your hands!"

The woman huffed but continued out of the door.

Jasmine shook her head as the door swung closed. She squirted some soap into her hands and started washing up. She'd touched the sink in a public bathroom. She definitely needed to wash her hands before going back to the table.

She heard the bathroom door open again but didn't pay it any attention until she heard a man clearing his throat behind her.

Jasmine looked into the mirror and saw Jacob's reflection. She jumped and moved away from him. "I knew you were dickless but I didn't know you'd gone ahead and had the sex change."

Jacob chuckled darkly and took a step closer to Jasmine so that she was hemmed up against the sink. "You've always have a smart mouth on you, but then we both know it can be put to better uses, right?"

He reached out and grabbed her chin forcefully.

Jasmine sneered, "Take your hands off of me you sick freak!"

Jacob ignored Jasmine and maintained his hold on her chin. In fact he dug his fingertips in harder against her soft skin, "I'm sure Davy is turning over in his grave. He's barely in the ground and you're already fucking one of the men responsible for his death. You were not good enough to lick his boots. You miserable slut. You're as uppity now as you were back then…if we had a little privacy I'd remind you of just what you really are…a worthless whore."

Jasmine drove her high heel into his foot as hard as she could.

Jacob howled in pain and moved away from her. He picked his foot up off the ground. "You dumb bitch!" he hissed loudly.

Mary walked into the bathroom and paused just inside the door. She didn't know what was going on but it looked like Jasmine was near tears. She looked at Jacob Hale, "You get the hell out of here and leave her alone."

"This is no business of yours," said Jacob still checking out the condition of his foot.

Mary reached into her purse and pulled out a can of pepper spray. "Get out of here or I'll gas your ass and then call my son in here to kick your ass."

Jacob glanced at the woman for the first time and realized he'd seen her sitting at the table with Opie and Jasmine. He could only assume that Opie was the son she was referring to.

Mary's gaze hardened. She looked at Jasmine. "Get on out there. The kids are waiting on you."

"Mary, I can take care of this myself," Jasmine argued.

The older woman said, "Go or I really will call Opie in here and he'll kill him right here in this restaurant."

Jasmine just nodded and walked out the door. She knew that Mary was right. Opie wanted to murder Jacob Hale for many reasons. He didn't need another.

Mary said, "You stay away from her or the next time…I will tell my son and being mayor of this Podunk town won't save your ass."

For good measure she sprayed Jacob in the eyes with the pepper spray and quickly exited the bathroom before it overwhelmed her.

Jasmine's eyes widened when Mary walked out the bathroom. "You sprayed him anyway?"

Mary shrugged, "He didn't leave the bathroom fast enough. I warned him. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. You didn't have to get involved in there, Mary. I could have handled it on my own. I wouldn't want him hurt you," said Jasmine.

She smiled, "Piney is an old son of a bitch and we can't stand one another most days but if that half-wit put his hands on me Piney would gut him like a fish. I wasn't worried."

Jasmine watched as Mary marched back to the table as if nothing had happened. She quickly followed suit and rejoined the table.

Opie gave Jasmine a cautious look. He was concerned that Mary had followed her into the restroom to cause trouble. His mother really didn't know when to stop pushing.

Jasmine was shaky but she gave an award winning smile. She leaned over and whispered, "Just a little girl talk. It is nothing for you to be worried about, Ope."

Opie smiled and looked relieved, "The kids have informed me that we have to go for ice cream. They have all left room for a couple scoops."

Jasmine chuckled, "Well, I can't argue with a unanimous vote. Where's a good place to get ice cream? You know I have a wicked sweet tooth."

"The same place that we used to go for ice cream when we were kids," Opie quipped.

"Praline's Shoppe is still open?" asked Jasmine.

He chuckled and said, "Nothing changes here in Charming…you know that."

"Well, I can't wait to go to Praline's I love that place. They always had the best homemade ice cream."

"We'll get ice cream at Praline's and we'll walk across the street to the park to eat it. It is a nice enough night for it," said Opie.

Jasmine smiled at him. They had many dates where they stopped for ice cream and then went to the park. It was bringing back all of those old feelings. "I can't wait to hit the swings. Will you give me a push?"

He chuckled, "You know I will."

Opie smiled looking at Jasmine but then Jacob Hale came into his sight line. The mayor was headed back to his table but he looked like absolute shit. Opie could see the irritation around his eyes from across the room. He looked across the table at Mary and then back to Jasmine.

Mary asked, "What?"

Opie just shook his head, "We'll talk later."

* * *

Later that night Opie knocked on Ellie's bedroom door.

Ellie opened the door and asked, "Figured out what my punishment is going to be?"

Opie shook his head, "Actually, I came in here to talk to you about what you said last night."

She had a seat on her bed and asked, "You mean about moving out?"

He nodded, "Yeah, that would be it. I know you've got no reason to believe that I will be better but I am going to be better. You and Kenny can't move out but if you feel like I'm not pulling my weight around here I want you guys to say something to me. I should know if I am being a shitty father on my own but…sometimes I miss things. Sometimes I think you guys don't need me as much as you really do."

Ellie just sat there quietly. She didn't really have anything to say in response to that.

Opie asked, "Are you mad?"

She shrugged her shoulders, "I didn't really think that you were going to let us move out."

"Well, I did do something I think might make you happy. I asked your grandma to stick around for awhile. She's going to drive up to her place in the morning pack a suitcase and come back here for awhile," said Opie.

Ellie's face lit up, "Grandma Mary is moving in here with us?"

Opie had to smile seeing how happy that news made his little girl. He nodded and said, "She said she'll stay a couple of weeks…maybe a little longer if we need her."

She hopped up from the bed and hugged Opie.

He was shocked for a moment but returned the hug. "I'm glad that this is making you happy, Ellie."

"Thank you for doing this, Dad. I know you want Grandma here about as much as you want chicken pox," said Ellie.

"You are right about that. Your grandmother and chicken pox both have something in common. They're a pain in my ass, but I'd do anything for you and Kenny," said Opie.

She nodded and said, "Kenny didn't really want to move. He was just going to follow me."

Opie smiled a little, "Well, you're his older sister. I'm sure he'd prefer to be wherever you are instead of stuck here with me and Grandpa."

Ellie sat on her bed and nodded slightly.

"I did come up with your punishment for going to a high school party you had no business being at," said Opie.

She frowned but sat up a little more as she waited to hear her fate.

"You are going to help out at the office along with Henry. There are tons of papers that need filing. Gemma has been talking about turning everything digital. You and Henry are going to enter all of the old files into the new digital system. And since Jasmine will be moving into her new place this weekend you are going to go over there to help her unpack. You can't go over Alyssa's house anymore. If you want to hang out with her it will be here where I can keep an eye on you. And no phone or internet for the next two weeks."

"Dad, are you serious?!" asked Ellie. She couldn't believe that Opie was coming down so hard on her. He'd never really bothered disciplining her in the past.

"Yes, I'm serious, Ellie. Anything could have happened to you out there. I want you to understand how much danger you put yourself in and I want to make sure that you never do something that irresponsible again. This is actually pretty lightweight. I had a lot of other punishments I could have tacked onto that. I'm giving you a break because I've been absent so I shoulder some of the blame for your behavior. Your grandpa thought that I should lock you in your room until you go to college but that seemed a little excessive."

Ellie heaved a sigh and realized that she was getting off fairly easy considering the situation. She was just pissed that he'd picked now to decide to be a father. "When do I have to start helping out at the office?"

"School's out now so you can spend the entire day at the office with me. I leave for work at 7. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?" asked Opie.

She shrugged, "Like 90 minutes or something like that if I'm not fighting anyone to get into the bathroom."

"Well, set your alarm for 5 AM. That'll give you enough time to get ready and eat something before we leave."

Ellie's jaw went slack. "5 AM? But it's the summer."

Opie chuckled and said, "I know it is…that is why I'm not having you mow grass or anything where you'd be out in the sun. You're going to sit in an air conditioned office all day and get a million paper cuts."

She grabbed her cell phone to set the alarm.

Opie shook his head. "I'll be taking that for the next two weeks. You'll get it back once you're done with your punishment, kiddo."

"How am I supposed to set my alarm if I don't have my phone?" asked Ellie.

Opie looked around the room and frowned when he didn't see an alarm clock. "I'll wake you up tomorrow morning and while we're out I'll buy you a good ole fashioned alarm clock. Deal?"

Ellie muttered but nodded at Opie.

He smiled, "Well, you'd better turn in for the night if you are going to be rested in the morning. It is already 11:00, 5 AM will be here before you know it. Goodnight, Ellie. I love you."

She begrudgingly responded, "I love you too."

Opie chuckled and pulled her door to a close as he walked out. He made sure that Kenny was off to bed before heading to his own room for the night.

Opie took a much needed shower and then got into bed wearing a pair of boxers. He rested back against the pillows wishing that Jasmine was there next to him. The previous night had been comforting for the man that felt like was under perpetual stress.

Opie looked over at the time and decided to take the chance on calling Jasmine. He called her cell phone and waited to see if she'd answer.

"Hey, Ope," said Jasmine.

He smiled, "I was wondering if you were still awake."

Jasmine chuckled softly, "I just got Danny off to sleep about 30 minutes ago. You know how babies are at that age. He had a nice bottle and went back to sleep though."

Opie chuckled and said, "It's been a long time since I've had to do any midnight feedings. I'm glad that my kids are long past that stage."

"I wish that I could say the same. Before Danny came along I thought I was done with the stage in my life where I'd be taking care of an infant. He proved me wrong," Jasmine joked.

"Kids will do that to you. They turn your life upside down but they're worth it. How'd Henry seem when you guys got back to the hotel?" asked Opie.

"He was fine. Henry told me that he had a good time and he's really excited about working on your bike with you. I didn't have the heart to tell him that nothing is wrong with your carburetor."

Opie laughed quietly, "I didn't have the heart to tell him either. I'm working on restoring a 1947 panhead. I was thinking of asking him to help me with it. What do you think, Jas?"

"I think my kid is going to disappear into your garage and I will never see him again. You talk to Henry about working with his hands and he completely tunes everything else out. He helped my dad build a deck on the house for my mom. They did a good job on it too."

Opie said, "That is good to know. I might be able to scrounge up a couple projects around here. I'll be over there about 7 to pick up Henry. It just depends on how quickly I can get Ellie out of the house in the morning."

"That's fine. Henry already knows what time he's supposed to be ready. He will be. How did that go by the way?"

He chuckled, "Well, she was happy when I told her that Mary would be staying with us for awhile and then she transitioned into being pissed off once I told her the punishment for going to the party."

Jasmine laughed, "Well, then you did it right. If your kids aren't pissed off with you after you ground them then you haven't done it properly. I'm proud of you for breaking down and asking Mary to stay for the kids.'

"Speaking of Mary…are you going to tell me what happened in the bathroom tonight?' asked Opie.

The question had been in the forefront of his mind for the majority of the night. However, he'd never had the opportunity to ask the question.

Jasmine went quiet as she attempted to formulate an answer that wouldn't strictly be a lie, but would satisfy Opie.

Opie waited for an answer and frowned at the silence, "Jas, the truth doesn't take that long. What happened tonight? Did Hale say something to you?"

"It wasn't a big deal, Opie. I handled it. Well, your mother handled. We might have both handled it. Anyway, the point is that there is no need for you to get involved," Jasmine explained.

"I knew she pepper sprayed him. I can't believe you both sat there at the table like nothing happened. Mary doesn't whip out the pepper spray for no reason. What happened, Jasmine?"

"Don't you go getting assertive with me, Opie Winston. I am not a child!"

Opie said, "No one said that you were, but I don't like being lied to and that is what you're doing right now. You are trying to play it off like this was no big deal but it was. You were shaken up when you came back to the table. I could see through that bullshit smile. I just didn't pressure you at the table because I didn't want to cause a scene in front of the kids."

"Are you saying that I am a bad liar?"

"No, I'm saying that I know you and you can't hide from me. I may not know what is wrong because I'm not a mind reader but I do know when something is wrong."

Jasmine sighed heavily, "I left the table because I felt Jacob's creepy eyes watching me from across the room. The next thing I know he was in the bathroom with me. He got in my personal space and insulted me. Nothing else happened. I stabbed his food with my heel and then Mary walked into the bathroom. They exchanged some words and he didn't leave the bathroom fast enough so she pepper sprayed him."

Opie was grinding his teeth hearing what had gone on under his nose that evening, "He won't approach you again."

"Opie, I don't want you getting involved. I can take care of myself," said Jasmine.

He smiled although she couldn't see it. "You don't have to worry about it. It's not like I am going to kill him. He and I are just going to have a talk to get an understanding. I promise I won't harm a single gray hair on his head."

"Ope, I'm serious. I don't want you doing anything that is going to land you in jail. That is the last thing that your kids need right now and that includes Henry. Jacob is just trying to intimidate me. He isn't actually going to do anything," said Jasmine.

"How do you know that? How do you know that he isn't going to do anything? You don't know what he is capable of now, but we know 16 years ago he was a fucking pervert," Opie ground out.

Jasmine said, "Nothing I say is going to put you off of saying something to him…"

"You're right. I'm going to say something to him regardless. It'll just be a friendly warning to stay away from my family," said Opie.

"Oh, am I included in your family?" asked Jasmine.

He chuckled, "Don't be smart. If I had my way you'd be staying here until you were able to move into David's house. I don't like the idea of you staying in a hotel."

She chuckled, "You are such a chauvinist."

Opie laughed, "Some people would call me chivalrous."

"Well, I'm not one of those people," said Jasmine.

"Hey, I'm not jealous that you make more money than me."

She laughed and said, "That's only because you probably bring in more than I do when you add in your other sources of income."

"I don't know what you mean."

Jasmine laughed harder, "I'm sure you don't."

"Do you know if you will hear about the house tomorrow?"

"I am going to call Davy's estate lawyer to see how the paperwork is coming. I know that the process can be slow. I've budgeted for two weeks in the hotel just in case things don't move as quickly as Malcolm assured me it would. I wouldn't be surprised if Hale tried to use one of his father's cronies to hold up the transfer of the house."

Opie said, "Well, he's just slimy enough to do it. If you aren't out of the hotel and into your place by next week you and the kids could always come stay over here."

Jasmine smiled, "That's sweet of you. We're perfectly fine staying in the hotel."

"You're perfectly fine? What if Henry decides to sneak out again like last time? What are you going to do stand guard in front of his door all night?"

She scowled at the phone, "Oh, you know that you aren't playing fair now. You know that I'm overprotective when it comes to Henry. I cannot go through a repeat of last night. I just can't," said Jasmine.

"So then it is settled. You'll stay with me if you aren't in your new place by next week," Opie declared.

"Opie, but isn't your place full now that Mary is staying in the guest room?"

"Lily can sleep in Ellie's room. Kenny has bunk beds and he'd be glad to have Henry over. You and Danny could have my bedroom and I'd sleep on the couch," said Opie.

She smiled, "You are a kind and sweet man."

"I thought you just said that I was a chauvinist pig?" Opie asked with a chuckle.

"Oh, you are, but you are a sweet pig. I won't say no to staying with you. I just want to see how quickly Malcolm gets the paperwork through the court system."

Opie smirked, "I guess if that is as good as I can get from you then I will just have to take it for now."

"I think I am going to get some pepper spray like Mary. She was a badass tonight," said Jasmine chuckling.

Opie said, "Hale's lucky that Mary grabbed the pepper spray. That's not the only thing she carries in her purse. Mary's been carrying around the snub nose .44 Pops gave her years ago. You know how to shoot right?"

She paused before answering, "Yeah."

"Your old man taught you how to shoot?" Opie asked.

"Yes. Why are you asking?" asked Jasmine.

"I'm going to get you a little something to carry around for protection. Do you have a preference?" asked Opie.

"Opie, I have a gun. It is legal, licensed, and registered," said Jasmine.

"And if you have to kill Hale with it the cops will be on your doorstep. I'll get you something they can't trace back to you," said Opie.

"I don't intend on having to kill Hale."

Opie quipped, "You never know when that will have to change."


End file.
